Keeping fit turns back the biological clock for men

Keeping fit turns back the biological clock for men

By Clare E. Urwin

SURABAYA (JP): Fitness is youth. Staying young by exercising
is a smart move. In today's cut-throat world, men have to look
competitive in a younger workforce. Socially it is no longer
acceptable to disregard one's physique and appearance.

Becoming fit is the second tactic needed for dragging back a
man's biological clock. The good news is that even if you
consider yourself to be an athletic illiterate, hopelessly out of
shape or past your sell-by date, it is never too late to start.

Fitness does not mean sacrificing one pleasure after another
in a frantic effort to hold off Father Time. Neither does it mean
training nonstop in a gym and pounding forever on a treadmill,
with the result being that your body ends up as a look-alike for
either Tarzan or a stick insect.

Fitness is fun. Being fit makes you look good, feel good and
keeps you young.

We all know that exercise is good for us. It tones our bodies,
builds our muscles, protects our hearts and stops us aging.
However, after the age of 30 most men do not take any regular
exercise whatsoever.

Between ages of 30 and 60, men also characteristically work
too hard, are often very stressed and do not get enough sleep. An
occasional round of golf, a game of tennis or a quick walk to the
bank have to suffice for keeping fit. It's not enough!

A man's comfort zone will keep him stuck in this inactivity
mode ad infinitum, the apparent justification of family and
financial pressures conveniently limiting any time for
alternative pursuits. Unfortunately, this typical scenario has a
very high cost.

The average 25-year-old man is about 18 percent fat. But,
without exercise, by age 65 he is about 38 percent fat. Much of
that fat gain is due to the loss of vital active muscle.

Every decade from the age of 30 men lose up to six pounds of
muscle. It is not often obvious, because the size of their arms
and legs often remain the same as when they were younger.
However, in reality, fat has replaced muscle.

Aerobic power is the most telling measure of biological age,
and this also dramatically changes for the worse through
inactivity. Without exercise the aerobic capacity of a male is 40
percent lower at 60 years of age than that of a young adult.

Regrettably, the majority of men accept this decline as
unavoidable aging. They are wrong. It is the result of the
misuse, disuse and abuse of their own bodies.

Top researchers on aging state that there are two main factors
in fitness which defeat Father Time: aerobic power and muscle
power. So, first acquire a large transport system of strong
heart, lungs, veins, arteries and blood vessels which can
circulate the largest possible supply of oxygen around your body.

Second, build a large lean muscle mass to use all this oxygen
for optimum strength, energy and endurance.

Men have a natural aptitude for aerobic power. Age is no
barrier. If you continue sustained aerobic training into your
30s, 40s and 50s, you can actually get better than you were in
your 20s!

Even starting regular aerobic training in your 60s will bring
a huge improvement.

Any sport which vigorously uses the large body muscles is
excellent aerobic exercise. For instance, running, cycling,
swimming, fast power walking, tennis, squash, badminton, skiing
and rowing.

At the gym, using machines such as the treadmill, rower, stair
master and exercise bike will provide the same benefit.

Slower activities such as golf and regular walking, while
beneficial to overall fitness, are not as effective for longevity
as intense exercise.

Consequently, rotate moderate activity with periods of
vigorous exertion. Act, look and be like a proper athlete.
Sweating, turning red in the face and getting short of breath are
compulsory!

Muscle power is produced by building and maintaining a large
mass of lean, active muscle tissue in a man's body. Weight
training is the best way to achieve this. But being merely bulky
and bulging is not the object. Making enough new muscle to
increase your youth is the key.

Research shows that big gains in muscle mass can be acquired
up to the age of 60; moderate amounts until age 100!

Muscle is the Ferrari of the body's tissues. Its strength cuts
right to the core of being a male. A big powerful muscle is like
a finely tuned engine, constantly ticking-over. Even idle, it
burns calories, keeping your metabolism high, giving you energy
all day long and stopping the fat from creeping around your
belly.

As a man, the fatter you are, the less male sex hormone
testosterone is available. When you are lean, testosterone is
easily accessible, and weight training increases the production
of testosterone. This combination of adding production and
reducing fat is the best natural method for greater potency, even
in older men.

Developing your muscle mass is vital to real fitness and for
winding back the years. Weight training, as well as building
muscle, strengthens bones, hardens joints, improves sport
performance and, of course, drastically improves your appearance.

Want to look like a leader and have a more commanding
presence? Harden up your muscles!

The easiest way to begin weight training is to join a gym
which has a qualified instructor. High-tech machines give you
instant expertise because they direct you through the proper
range of motion for each exercise. Free weights are great when
you have the experience.

Work on your large muscle groups first, such as your back,
chest, legs and buttocks, then move to the smaller ones, such as
the arms and shoulders. Fortunately, these antiaging muscle
groups are easy to work with and strengthen quickly. In as little
as two weeks you will see harder and firmer muscle, much better
defined.

But be careful and move slowly! Too fast and you use momentum
instead of muscle movements, putting added stress on joints,
bones, ligaments and tendons.

Smart exercising means being efficient with time. It is not an
open-ended commitment to nonstop training. Exercise at least
three times a week, evenly spacing the workouts. Incorporate a
minimum of three, 20-minute sessions of vigorous aerobic activity
and spend equal time on weight training.

Do any sport you love for at least two hours each weekend.
Buy the best sports equipment and footwear you can afford. New
technology afford a high performance advantage, so use it. This
is an investment in your health and longevity.

The clock is ticking for all men. Break out of your comfort
zone. Begin the challenging, invigorating journey to regain the
fitness of your youth.

Turn the clock back and keep it turned back. Good luck.

e-mail:clareu@attglobal.net