Training now is an investment in your health; here are the alternatives.
As we get older and older, our bodies break down more and more.
I know this phenomenon;
I have lived this phenomenon;
I witness this phenomenon daily.
It’s a fact of life. I wish it were not, but it is.
My body becomes more and more inefficient as I get older. I love reading hilarious Instagram posts about how sneezing or sleeping can make someone hurt for three days, but it’s sort-of-ha-ha-funny until it’s not.
So don’t let it become not.
I love talking to people about getting together to train. Many cite the cost of hiring a trainer as a barrier to getting on board, and a great many people I talk to – especially males in their 40s. You all know who you are. ‘I don’t need to train! I play X sport a couple of times a week.’ – tell me it’s not worth the investment.
Allow me to retort.
The cost of aging in Canada is rising every day, and with the advent of medical and pharmacological technology, we can assume we are going to live longer than ever before.
Which is GREAT if your body is up to the task.
But what if it’s not? What if decades of ignoring good advice to go lift some heavy things finally comes home to roost and you can’t stand up straight? What if you start forgetting little things, like your wife’s name? What if, maybe, circulation to your legs starts to go and you’re confined to a wheelchair?
The costs of assisted living and even home caregiving has skyrocketed, making it one of Canada’s top growing markets, thanks to a generation of people who didn’t know that weight training and daily exercise would have benefits thirty years down the road?
Here's the link:
This is a great story that outlines the cost of infirm old age in Canada. It’s kind of depressing.
From the story:
By 2050, the cost of public care in nursing and private homes in Canada will more than triple to $71 billion annually, according to a study. Much of this is from the 120% increase in older adults needing care support by 2050, mainly the baby boomers.
But – and this is a Jennifer Lopez-sized but – it’s avoidable
Yes, it’s true. Weight training offsets the cognitive decline and decline of brain function that naturally comes from aging.
It increases bone density so if you fall, you might not end up breaking your hip catastrophically at the age of 70 and putting you in a home.
It ups your immune system, so your risk of infection and, thereby your risk of developing something that might, you know, KILL YOU, is lowered – for your lifetime.
It increases your odds of avoiding heart disease, which kills almost as many Canadians as cancer.
It increases your positive brain chemicals, dopamine and endorphins that increase feelings of confidence and well-being.
From the story:
So what do you want as you age? Do you want home care, or to live in a retirement residence? At what point should that happen? And of course, how will it be paid for? These are important questions to consider well before you're met with a crisis.
I think everyone wants to live as independently as possible.
The cost of a decent nursing home can run up to $5,000-10,000 a month.
A month!?
I’m sure you can live there for the next 30 years, right?
No?
Hm. Let’s get into the weight room, people.
Reach me at marclalondefitness@gmail.com