The fountain of youth

Angshuman Dutta

Do you want to get older? I am sure we all want to hold on to our youth. It is the most beautiful phase in anybody’s life- filled with hope, desire, passion and supported ably (hopefully) by a disease and pain free body.

As you cross the age of thirty the decline starts- hair, muscles, bones, height all stripped away step by step.

How does one reverse the aging process- Botox, hair transplants, and plastic surgeries? Yes these are options which may keep you looking younger. But make no mistake they are not accessible to most because of the prohibitive cost involved.

But more important than the cost, these will only make you “look younger”- how about what you feel from inside. So we come back to our favorite subject- exercise. It is the real fountain of youth.

If there is anything which can delay the ageing process and make your transition into senior citizens a smooth ride it is exercise. Yes, a good diet is also important. How does exercise actually help? For starters when you exercise it strengthens your musco-skeletal system- your muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments all become stronger. With weight training you greatly reduce chances of osteoporosis and joint pains.

The result you move better. Most people in late forties and fifties start experience knee pain, difficulty in getting up and climbing stairs. You can accept it as an irreversible act of ageing or do something to prevent it now. Start training with weights, strengthen those supporting muscles and improve your bone density.

Another common affliction of the elderly is reduced muscle mass and increased fat storage. Muscles are nutrient and energy hungry-the human body in its quest for efficiency will discard all muscles that are not used. So as you age your muscle mass starts declining.

This is also due to the fact that the natural hormones in your body are also on a decline. So the idea is to keep using the muscles so that the body does not atrophy them and simultaneously stimulate your brain to keep releasing adequate amounts of testosterone and growth hormone. This can be done again with addition of some form of resistance training; ideally at least 180 minutes of strength training a week.

Muscle catabolism or destruction is also attributed to increased cortisol levels. Cortisol hormone is released during times of stress. So if you are stressed out about work or family issues you are creating a perfect environment for disaster. One would be naïve to believe that modern day man can be totally stressed free. We all have too many issues at hand to live carefree.

“An interesting study by Dr.Zou, of the University of Georgia, Atlanta, found that fasting produces a molecule, beta-hydroxybutyrate, which can potentially delay vascular ageing. This has important ramifications as it could imply that it can delay the onset of chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease.”

Meditation can help counter the day to day stress. What is meditation? I don’t sit under a tree, close my eyes and meditate for hours on end.  For me exercise is meditation. Meditation is after all a time when your mind and body becomes one, when you shut off the outer world and focus on the truth within. If you understand that, your workout can be a meditative experience.

Find out whatever works for you. If Yoga is feasible, then it is of course a wonderful tool to combat stress. But if it is not possible, find out whatever works for you- singing, dancing, painting.

Can diets also play a role in reversing the ageing process? Some research says that intermittent fasting can help in anti ageing. An interesting study by Dr.Zou, of the University of Georgia, Atlanta, found that fasting produces a molecule, beta-hydroxybutyrate, which can potentially delay vascular ageing. This has important ramifications as it could imply that it can delay the onset of chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease.

It’s still early days to say how effective this will be, but the theory confirms with most similar researches in the field-the key to living a disease free and long life is eating less! So be mindful of what you eat- the correct choices will fuel you, the wrong ones will drain you out.

(The writer Angshuman Dutta is a fitness educator, coach and consultant. He can be contacted at angshuman9@gmail.com)

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