Gain Strength At Any Age

BY PHIL CARVILLE

Whether you’re 18 or 80 is doesn’t matter!

In the most comprehensive study on aging ever conducted in America, the MacArthur Foundation concluded that the way you live determines your general health and vitality. The project was conducted by a team led by Dr. John W. Rowe, M. D., President, Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine and by Robert L. Kahn, Ph. D., Professor of Psychology and Public Health, University of Michigan. They studied the structure of aging, nature vs. nurture and strategies to maintain physical At Any Age performance/mental function throughout life.

“The results are clear and impressive. Your physical and mental health are determined by how you live your life not by the genes you inherited,” states Dr. Rowe. “People can retain their health, independence and strength regardless of age if they exercise consistently and have a proper diet.”

The results apply regardless of age. Take the case of Edward, one of thousands in the study, who at eighty-six had hardly exercised a day in his life. He started a weight training program built upon the same Keiser-Express/South Yuba Club Strength Program. Despite a serious case of neuropathy which robs his legs of a great deal of feeling, Edward completed the 12 week Keiser program and felt so much better that he continued on with resistance training.

Today at 91, he is a different and more energetic person. He does three sets of leg presses (about 150 pounds), knee extensions (about 50 pounds), leg curls (about 70 pounds), and chest presses (about 75 pounds) three times a week. “It doesn’t make any difference how old you are, you can get stronger and better. Once I started, I felt better, stronger,” he recalls. “Once you get going, you’re full of action. The weight lifting helps my walking, I feel better, I sleep better, I eat better. It changed my life.” When recently invited to a special occasion, he had to buy a new suit because his chest was too large for the old one. He hadn’t gained a pound. He just traded fat for muscle.

Data References: IHRSA: The Association of Quality Clubs