| by Dr. Robert Goldman and Dr. Ronald Klatz
Exercise
The First and Most Significant Principle in Anti-Aging Medicine
The anti-aging medical specialty, founded in 1993 by
the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M),
is a health care model promoting innovative science
and research to prolong the healthy lifespan in humans.
Today, a wide array of anti-aging medical interventions
and therapies exist. They include:
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Optimized nutritional supplementation
- Immune function maximization
- Detoxification
- Cardiovascular protection
- Cognitive function assessment and repair
- Metabolic and DNA repair
- Skin de-aging and repair
- Lifestyle modification
- Exercise (and specialized fitness regimens including musculoskeletal rehabilitation-sports medicineconditioning)
- Biomarkers of aging assessment
- Prospective advanced diagnostics
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Muscle mass decreases 40 to 50 percent between the
ages of 30 and 80. This reduces strength, slows metabolism,
degrades key body functions (such as cardiovascular performance
and bone health), and can compromise longevity.
Physical activity can make the difference between becoming
decrepit or staying fit and vital. Fewer than one-third of
Americans ages 50 and over get any regular exercise. A carefully
crafted exercise regimen, tailored for your individual
medical needs and lifestyle goals by a qualified medical professional,
can help you live a long and healthy life.
Regular physical activity substantially delays the onset of
functional limitations that result in loss of independence.
Scientists have shown that highly active, nonsmoking
women at the age of 65 have 18.4 years of active life expectancy
remaining, whereas same-aged inactive, nonsmoking
women have only 12.7 years of active life expectancy left.
Exercise and healthy living can prolong the healthy human
lifespan by an extra 30 percent!
Substantial health benefits occur with regular physical
activity that is aerobic in nature (such as 30–60 minutes of
brisk walking, 5 or more days of the week). Additional health
benefits can be gained through greater amounts of physical
activity, but even small amounts of activity are healthier than
a sedentary lifestyle. Regular exercise in middle age can help
men and women prolong their physical prowess as they
grow older. A study by University College London (United
Kingdom), published in April 2005, found that among 6,400
adults between the ages of 39 and 63, those who could be
categorized as “sufficiently active” at the start of the study
were more likely to be free of physical limitations nine years
later. “Sufficiently active” study subjects were those men and
women who engaged in 2.5 hours of moderate exercise (such
as biking and leisurely swimming) or 1 hour of vigorous
activity (swimming laps and running, for example) each
week. After nine years of regular aerobic physical activity,
sufficiently active adults were less likely to have physical
problems that kept them from playing sports, lifting heavy
objects, or being able to perform routine activities such
as climbing stairs or bathing. Dr. Hillsdon and colleagues
report that their “study shows that regular physical activity
appears to be critical to preserving high physical function in
relatively fit, healthy, middle-aged men and women.”
While aerobic exercise is important to keep weight within
a healthy range and to improve the cardiovascular system,
strength training is just as important. Strength training, also
referred to as resistance training, enables men and women
at any age to improve their overall health and fitness by
increasing muscular strength, endurance, and bone density.
This particular type of physical activity also improves insulin
sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Strength training recommendations include:
- Perform exercises 2 or more days a week
- Use handheld light dumbbells, free weights, machines, or resistance bands, or no weights at all
- If weights are used, start with 1-2 pounds and gradually increase the weight over time
- Perform exercises that involve the major muscle groups (arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, hips, and legs) and exercises that enhance grip strength
- Perform 8 to 15 repetitions of each exercise, then perform a second set
- Do not hold your breath during strength exercises
- Rest between sets
- Avoid locking joints in arms and legs
- Stretch after completing all exercises
- Stop if you feel pain at any time
- Conduct strength training only after seeking a consultation with a qualified medical professional
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Studies show that even men and women in their 90s who
took up weight training increased muscle mass and strengthened bones, both key
improvements in preventing falls and
injuries and encouraging continued
independent living. Yet, only 11 percent
of older adults meet strength training
recommendations. The vast majority of
older adults are missing opportunities
to improve their health through strength
training. Fortunately, the fix is simple to
execute.
 A study conducted by researchers
at the University of Michigan should
inspire our readers in their 50s and 60s
to become physically active, especially
if they have conditions or habits that
endanger their hearts, like diabetes,
high blood pressure, or smoking. In this
study, which involved 9,611 older adults,
those who were regularly active in their
50s and 60s were 35 percent less likely
to die in the next 8 years than those who
were sedentary. The reduction in the risk
of early death was achieved in study participants
who engaged in very moderate
physical activity: the reduction was seen
among those who walked leisurely, gardened,
or went dancing a few times a
week. Even those who were obese had a
lower risk of dying if they were regularly
active. Lead researcher Dr. Richardson
observed: “We found across all ranges of
cardiovascular risk, everybody got a benefit
from regular activity, but the biggest
absolute benefit, the biggest reduction
in deaths, was among high risk people.”
Continuing, Dr. Richardson remarked
that, in people who have cardiovascular
issues, the risk of remaining sedentary
is far greater than “the risk of having an
acute problem brought on by exercise.”
Physical exercise has also now been
shown to help maintain our mental
health. Physically active adults have
higher concentration skills, which may
help maintain memory and combat
dementia. In a study by researchers at
Northwestern University's Feinberg
School of Medicine, Dr. Benloucif, Dr.
Zee and colleagues found that sedentary
lifestyles directly contribute to the decline
in cognitive abilities and quality of sleep
as we age. Twelve men and women,
ages 67 to 86, who were functionally
independent, participated in a two-week
study involving a regimen of 30 minutes
of mild physical activity, 30 minutes of
social interaction, and a final 30 minutes
of mild to moderate physical activity.
Sessions began with warm-up stretching
and mild to moderate physical activity
(walking and stationary upper and lower
body exercises). The final period of mild
to moderate physical activity included
rapid walking, calisthenics or dancing.
A 10-minute cool-down concluded the
90-minute regimen. At the end of the
two-week period, all participants demonstrated
a 4 to 6 percent improvement
in cognitive performance and improved
sleep quality (including deeper sleep and
fewer awakenings).
Exercise is a universally accessible
anti-aging modality. The basics of physical
exercise are just as much a key part
of an anti-aging program as hormone
replacement, diet, and nutritional supplementation.
It's never too early or too
late to start a regimen of physical activity,
and the benefits of doing so are wide
ranging for you and your loved ones.
For references, send a SASE to totalhealth
magazine.
Dr. Robert Goldman and Dr. Ronald Klatz are
the physician co-founders of the anti-aging
medical movement and of the American
Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M;
Chicago, IL USA; www.worldhealth.net),
a non-profit medical organization dedicated
to the advancement of technology to
detect, prevent, and treat aging related disease
and to promote research into methods
to retard and optimize the human aging
process. Contact A4M at 773-528-1000, or by
e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
to inquire
about Sports Medicine Certification via
the American College of Anti-Aging Sports
Medicine Professionals (ACASP).
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