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"The past weeks brought me face to face with the realities of aging, not just for myself but among friends navigating the challenges of midlife. Health, once taken for granted, now grapples with the signs of age and lifestyle choices. A common sight during our meetups is the ubiquitous medicine box, a companion to meals, a testament to the rise of hypertension, affecting nearly 1 in 3 urban Indians.
This midlife generation, sandwiched between their children and aging parents, is experiencing firsthand what lies ahead. Recent tales include friends' parents falling in the bathroom, surgeries, and the tragic loss of life, echoing a common sentiment: 'I hope I stay on my feet till the end.'
Some have turned to regular walks as a lifeline, a commendable start. Walking is the MVP (once a Product Manager always a Product Manager) of low-impact aerobic exercise but not the comprehensive solution. Let's understand what happens to our bodies when we age. We can then see clearly why walking is not enough and more importantly what should be done.
Impact of Ageing
Naturally, human systems start to deteriorate in their forties. Medical research and articles provide technical reasons which in layman's terms boil down to various systems slowing down with age. Think of it like a machine that starts to rust with time. Let's look at how aging impacts some of the important systems and functions of our body.
General Muscle impact
Here is an extract from a research named "Muscle tissue changes with aging" published at the National Library of Medicine - an official United States government website:
"One of the most striking effects of age is the involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, termed sarcopenia. Muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60."
The article goes on to explain some more impacts like a decrease in bone mass density, and joint stiffness while an increase in fat mass and insulin resistance which can lead to many ailments like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, etc
Note: Similar deterioration is observed in bone with age often more pronounced in women.
Balancing ability
As per WHO, falling is the second largest reason for death among the elderly across the globe. Center of disease control and prevention indicates that every second of every day, an older adult falls in the US - making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in the elderly. The National Medical Journal of India indicates similar statistics for India.
Balancing is a continuous act and quite complex. Our brain gets continuous information from the eyes, ears, and musculoskeletal system. This helps us orient, and understand movement. Further, it works with muscles (like feet, legs, buttocks, abdominals, and torso) to keep us upright. This article from UCLA indicates that for most individuals balancing abilities drop in the fifties.
Heart Muscle Impact
With the ability to beat over 3 billion times in a lifetime, our heart is the hardest working muscle of our body. That does not make it immune to aging. WebMD, a common knowledge resource used among doctors reports that Heart muscle cells degenerate slightly. This degeneration is more pronounced in less active individuals. Thickening of heart muscles and blood vessels is common with age. These changes increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.
Note: A similar reduction in lung capacity is also observed with age.
Does it feel scary? Hopefully, the article has your attention!
Let's see how to tackle the situation and it isn't difficult!
Let's navigate it together, starting with a familiar friend - walking.
Walking wisdom - maximizing benefits & filling gaps
Let's first understand how much walking contributes to midlife fitness and what is missing. We look at the key areas that is impacted by aging to stay focused.
Walking for a cardiovascular boost!
Let's start with the good news. Walking is a stellar cardio choice. It improves overall heart health by increasing blood circulation and reducing blood pressure and bad cholesterol. It’s your shield against strokes and heart attacks. So lace up those shoes and hit the pavement.
Muscle health - few hits, more misses
Walking works leg and core muscles. Benefits vary: Gluts gain, hamstrings and quadriceps get moderate benefits, while abdomen, back, and hands gain minimally.
Walking must be complemented by strength and resistance training to counter muscle degeneration with aging. Harvard Health recommends two to four sessions a week focusing on power as it is more connected to the activities of daily living and physical function
(Note: Higher power is the ability to apply high strength for a short period.)
Functional fitness is a great way to build the power recommended. Calisthenics and Parkour are two building blocks of Functional fitness training. Both these streams involve a lot of explosive moves that help in building power. An added benefit is that these don't need any equipment and can be done anywhere.
Walking for balancing - is it?
Enough of theory - some practical time. It will take you 2 mins. Find an empty corner, stand on one leg, and close your eyes. Balance for a minute, change legs, repeat. You might use the free leg from time to time to maintain a standing position. Try to reduce the touch time and go back to one leg position quickly.
Feel discomfort? Balancing uses different muscles (in different ways) not exercised by walking, running, or cycling.
(Note: Please start strength training immediately if you are under 50 and cannot hold the position for at least 15 seconds)
Another important question to ask is - "Does walking help develop strength to prevent a fall?" Not quite. Biomechanics experts indicate that walking can put up 2G force on a body. Even a simple fall creates 3G force.
Both Yoga and Functional fitness are great ways to build balancing capabilities. Compound exercises common as part of functional fitness routines help simulate the movement and build the necessary strength to tackle common falls.
Now that we understand the gaps let's take a look at how to effectively introduce functional fitness as a way to complement walking.
Supercharge Walking workout - Practical tips for midlife fitness
The following sections provide easy and effective tips for everyone, including beginners, to incorporate into their walking routine to improve midlife fitness.
Add variety to walking
Let's spice up walking by adding verity to it. Here are simple suggestions:
Give speed bursts during your walk. Walking at top speed from 20-30 seconds every 8-10 minutes during your walk.
Add climbing steps to your walking regime. If you are walking around your apartment, include climbing a few stories every round. Start small - one floor. Gradually increase the number of floors. Climbing up requires more strength which will help build muscles. Climbing down exhibits higher G-forces - closer to that of a fall. An easy way to fix the deficit identified earlier in simple walking.
End your walking session with different types of walks - Check out this video for seven different variants that you can add to get more from your walk. These variations activate different sets of muscles, increase stretching capacity, and add strength. Make sure to find a smooth, plane surface.
Add a short functional fitness session
Take 15 minutes out from your long walk to perform the following 7 exercises. Our Head Coach Piyush suggests these to improve balance, strength/muscle restoration, and power. The exercises are effective, simple, and don't need any extra equipment. The video provides necessary instructions for anyone to perform them.
Dedicated functional fitness day
Giving 2 days to strength training is ideal. Below are two patterns to combine strength training and walking. The plan considers proper spread between the strength training days to ensure proper recovery.
Beginners can experience muscle fatigue and pain initially. Walking increases blood flow and helps take out lactic acid generated during strength training which is the cause of this pain. So don't skip the recovery walk post-strength training. A practical suggestion for beginners - align two strength days with your "working from home" days!
It is recommended to go with professional help to carve out the details of the strengthening session. Understanding your goals, current fitness levels, likes/dislikes, and any constraints are important to create a personalized, effective, and enjoyable session.
We at PowerFlexFitness, have tuned our main family training plan to this philosophy. You are welcome to experience it offline (in-person) or online.
Midlife can be your launchpad, not a finish line. Functional fitness can strengthen those muscles, give power, and reclaim balance. Don't wait; your body will thank you. Share this fitness blog with family and friends; let's inspire midlife vitality together. It's never too late.
Very well articulated the need for physical well being as we age