By Weston Hulst

The search for the Fountain of Youth by Juan Ponce de León in the 16th century is a story that many people have heard. Legend had it that the Fountain of Youth was a spring that restored youth. The idea of stopping or reversing the signs of aging is astonishing.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing. Or is there?

Now I don’t claim to have found the Fountain of Youth, but what I do claim is to increase a senior’s strength by 50 percent, increase balance by over 100 percent, increase flexibility by 70 percent and increase endurance by 40 percent. No Fountain of Youth required, just 30 minutes, three or more times a week of exercise.

Strength training, or resistance training, is extremely important as we age. Between the ages of 50 and 70, muscle strength has been shown decline as much as 30 percent, with even larger decreases after the age of 80. As we age, it’s natural for our muscle fibers to decrease in size and numbers; however, we can slow this process down and even reverse it through strength training. The human body is a miracle of adaptation, capable of altering itself to loads place upon it in such a way that future similar loads will be less stressful. Likewise, it can and will adapt to having no demands places upon it, becoming increasingly weaker and less capable.

Thorne Crest residents and participants of the community class are excited about their adaptations to exercise. Overall, their activities of daily living have become easier to perform and their doctor’s visits have decreased. They are pleased that they can continue to live independently for a very long time. Their regular exercise has been their source of youth.

There may be some people who believe they are too old to drink from this Fountain of Youth; however, this is not the case. Even 100-plus-year-olds are seeing positive results through simple strength training. It is more important to stay active and exercise as we age so we can stand the test of time.

We’ve have all heard the saying, “If you don’t use it, you will lose it.” How true. If you don’t use your muscles, you will lose your strength as you age.  There are 1,440 minutes in a day. I hope you can spare 30 of those minutes investing in your body. Let’s change the way we age.

 

Weston Hulst is the wellness director at Thorne Crest Retirement Community.