A recent study confirms what we all probably already knew. As adults, we tend to become much less active as they reach their midlife years. For example, yesterday my 7-year-old son beat the entire family in our Fit Bit challenge with 28,942 steps AND he had it off for 2 hours while swimming at the pool.
Need more proof? Researchers at the University of Texas completed a large scale study of activity levels among subjects 38 to 50 years old. As they followed them for ten years, they expected that intense training and activity would decrease, but they were surprised to find a decline in ordinary daily activities like walking as well.
We like to think of a decline in activity to be an issue for those in their “senior” years, not something that will effect us at mid life when we are supposed to be going strong. It’s actually a serious issue, because after about age 30 we start to lose bone and muscle mass and gain weight more easily. In addition, our heart starts to become smaller and less flexible.
The good news . . . research also shows us that at ANY AGE we can start to turn back the clock with regular and appropriate exercise. But, let’s not wait until our elderly years when we can actually see the results of bone and muscle loss. If we want to beat the odds, it’s important to start making choices in mid life that will lower our risk for serious conditions like osteoporosis, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.
Consider these tips for staying active and living healthy for those of us in mid life.
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