Energy - Is There Life After 50?

“It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor” - Marcus Tullius Cicero

In this sixth part of our series on Life over 50 - Neglect we look at the issues dealing with ENERGY.
N - utrition
E - xercise
G - eneral Health
L - ongevity
E - NERGY
C - onfidence
T - ime

By now you might think that with Nutrition, Exercise, General Health and Longevity already covered in our ‘Over 50’ series there might not be too much to talk about. Well, you’d be wrong. As I was thinking about this next article it occurred to me that the issue of energy as it relates to us 50+’ers is twofold. Firstly, most of us ‘get’ that exercise gives us energy and fills us with a sense of purpose etc. We hear talk about the endorphin effect. However, most of us have struggled with challenge of finding enough energy to do our workout in the first place. This is the conundrum of exercise. We know that once we get going we’ll be fine. It’s just the ‘get going’ part that’s hard. I’ve joked before with my clients that the hardest part of their workout is walking through my door and Marsha Doble once said, “I have to work out in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.” So, given that challenge I think it’s important to take a look at what this ‘energy’ thing is that we get from exercise and then look at how we can ‘rev up’ to do it.

One of the major areas of research relating to exercise and energy has recently come from the world of Psychology, particularly that which relates to depression. Many studies have looked into the biochemical processes that take place when we exercise. As I mentioned we’ve heard about the endorphin effect. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are produced in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus during exercise and function much like opiates do relieving pain and giving us a feeling of well-being. Some of the other neurotransmitters you may not be as familiar with are; dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. In a major analysis of over 70 exercise studies (6807 people) done by Dr. P. O'Connor, R. Dishman and T. Puetz they found that sedentary people who exercised regularly reported higher energy and reduced fatigue versus those who did not exercise. Much of this is attributable to the increased levels of the neurotransmitters mentioned above. They also noted that these benefits were more powerful than stimulant drugs currently used for ADHD and narcolepsy. The challenges going forward based on these studies relate to types of exercise and amount. Many of the exercise routines used that were most effective were low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise. Other studies however have shown some benefits from higher intensity workouts and strength training. In his recent best seller, Spark, Dr. J. Ratey extensively covers the subject of exercise and brain power going so far as to argue that such is the benefit of exercise to the brain that the physical improvements we get from exercise are secondary to it!

Of course I could go on ad infinitum about the biochemical mechanisms that cause us to feel good after exercise but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding! I can attest, after 27 years of doing this for a living, that day in and day out clients who come to me carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders consistently walk out of my studio ready to take on the world! Exercise truly is that powerful. It's not just about knowing that your cholesterol and blood pressure are normal, or your last physical was good. It boils down to how you feel in the moment and how that energy you carry with you gives you the power to accomplish your goals in life.

The challenge still remains, however, to make exercise a part of your life. The good news, as I've repeated often in this series, is that the less shape you're in to begin with the more you have to benefit and the quicker you will see and feel those improvements. Also from the studies I have cited it seems that low to moderate exercise is the most beneficial with respect to mood and energy improvements. Starting is always the hardest part, but it does get easier as you go. If you read my 3rd article in the series I talk at length about how to begin your program and at the risk of plagiarizing myself I have included the paragraph on getting started below.

Where do you start? This is the $64,000 question and will require an understanding of where you are and where you want to go. You've heard the advice before.....consult a physician before you embark upon an exercise program. This is sensible and necessary and answers the 'where you are' part. Where you want to go will depend on the goals you have for yourself whether they are for general fitness/health or to accomplish some specific task/event. Within the past year for example I have had one client who was able to finally stop taking his blood pressure medication and another who at 70+ years of age climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Make a plan and start slowly. Very often this is where a trainer can help you to plot out the steps and implement your plan. Your plan should include a combination of Aerobic, Strength and Flexibility exercises. Start slowly and build this into your life! Perhaps you might find that devoting 30 minutes a day fits easier into your life than 3 to 4 x 60 minutes workouts per week. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends building up to a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, a minimum of 2 sessions of strength training involving a mix of 12 to 14 moderate and vigorous exercises and at least 2 days a week of stretching exercises. If you haven't exercised in a while then you should expect that it will take a while to build up to this and achieve your goals. Take small 'bites'. Even 10 minutes a day is a good start when before you were doing nothing. In fact the worse shape you are in, the quicker you will see results and the more you have to gain. What a deal! Also, initially fitting this into your routine will be hard but gets easier with time. The old adage about success in life requires showing up certainly applies here.