Because it is. This doesn’t mean as we age we are destined to become sedentary shells of who we once were. No, it just means that we have to work a little harder than we used to and stay active.
According to the CDC in 2018 only 13.9% of people 65 and over participated in “leisure-time aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities that meet the federal 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans among adults aged 18 and over.”
Here are 3 reasons why exercise seems so much harder as we get older.
Our aerobic capacity decreases as we age:
- A study of over 800 men and women aged 21 to 87 followed them over a period of nearly eight years. While aerobic capacity declined for all groups, the older groups the it declined at a greater rate. The study also showed that after age 70 the rate of decline accelerated to more than 20% per decade.
We lose muscle mass as we age:
We can lose up to 40% of our muscle mass by the time we are in our 80’s.
Strength training can be highly beneficial as we age. According to research, beginning around age 50, men and women lose muscle mass at about 15% percent per decade. That means by the time you are in your 80’s you could lose up to 40% of the muscle mass you had when you were in your 20’s.
No one is saying you should get out there and lift heavy weights everyday. But studies have found; ”Current research has demonstrated that strength-training exercises have the ability to combat weakness and frailty and their debilitating consequences. Done regularly (e.g., 2 to 3 days per week), these exercises build muscle strength and muscle mass and preserve bone density, independence, and vitality with age.”
After 50 our ligaments tend to lose some flexibility and shorten.
We lose flexibility:
As we age we lose flexibility, so something we can do to prevent lose of flexibility and injury is stretching. Stretching seems to be essential as we age, but gets more important as we age.
After 50 our ligaments tend to lose some flexibility and shorten. This can make your joints feel stiff, as they become stiffer they can also lose some flexibility. Therefore, trying to incorporate some whole body stretching into your day can improve your flexibility as well as aid your overall health.
Even though exercise is harder as you get older, it is worth it. Remember exercise can increase overall strength, helps prevent bone loss, improves balance and coordination. It has been shown to help with depression, boost your memory, and even help with some symptoms of many chronic conditions.
So try to make the time to get moving, after all a even little of exercise can help your body stay limber.