How to train at a young age to stay healthy in old age

Why do people get sick in old age and can it be avoided

The elderly are most often affectedE. Jaul, J. barron. Age‑Related Diseases and Clinical and Public Health Implications for the 85 Years Old and Over Population / Frontiers in public health from cardiovascular disease, back and neck pain, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, diabetes and dementia.

However, as notedAging and health / World Health Organization WHO, there is no “typical old man”, and age-related changes are non-linear, inconsistent and largely dependent on lifestyle person. In particular, from 1. Y. Lin, Y. Chen, Y. Tseng. Physical activity and successful aging among middle‑aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta‑analysis of cohort studies / Aging (Albany NY)
2. C. Daskalopouloua, B.Stubbsbc, C.Kralj. Physical activity and healthy aging: A systematic review and meta‑analysis of longitudinal cohort studies / Aging Research Reviewshow mobile he was in his earlier years.

In reviewC. Daskalopouloua, B.Stubbsbc, C.Kralj. Physical activity and healthy aging: A systematic review and meta‑analysis of longitudinal cohort studies / Aging Research Reviews 23 scientific papers with data from more than 174 thousand people note that physically active people increase their chances of a healthy old age by 39%.

Below we will analyze how and how much you need to do in order to avoid the most common diseases of old age.

How to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause 1. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) / World Health Organization
2. Mortality by main classes and individual causes of death / Federal State Statistics Service death, both around the world and in Russia.

Gets worse with ageM. Steenman, G. Lande. Cardiac aging and heart disease in humans / Biophysics reviews the work of mitochondria - cellular structures responsible for the production of energy, the transfer of ions is disrupted calcium and more reactive oxygen species are produced, damaging tissues and organs.

In addition, 30–40% of people over 65 suffer fromT. S. Han, M. Lean. A clinical perspective of obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease / JRSM cardiovascular disease metabolic syndrome. This condition includes elevated levels of triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol in the blood, reduced insulin sensitivity, and abdominal obesity.

All these changes in the work of the body greatly increase the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension and stroke.

Physical exercise improvesD. Tian, ​​J. Meng. Exercise for Prevention and Relief of Cardiovascular Disease: Prognoses, Mechanisms, and Approaches / Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity sensitivity to insulin, decrease "bad" cholesterol and protect against oxidative damage to mitochondria.

As recommendedF. Lobelo, D. R. Young, R. Sallis. Routine Assessment and Promotion of Physical Activity in Healthcare Settings: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association / Circulation According to the American Heart Association, at least 150 minutes of light activity per week, or 75 minutes of more vigorous activity, is essential for heart and vascular health.

Light activity is considered to be one that raises the heart rate, but does not cause shortness of breath during a conversation, such as cycling or walking. Intensive exercises include more energy-intensive exercises such as running, dancing, aerobics and other cardio, raising the pulse to 140-150 beats per minute.

But at the same time, 150 minutes is only the lower limit. As for the top one, scientists still don't know if it exists at all.

For example, in a studyR. Ramakrishnan A. Doherty, K. Smith Byrne. Accelerometer measured physical activity and the incidence of cardiovascular disease: Evidence from the UK Biobank cohort study / PLOS Medicine with data from 90,000 people, they found that those observed who have about 900 minutes of light activity per week have problems with heart and vessels are 2.1–2.6 times less common than in those who fulfill the recommended norm.

That is, if you walk for two hours every day, your heart will only get better.

How to protect bones, muscles and joints

Old age is associated with several diseases of the musculoskeletal system:

• Sarcopenia - Loss of muscle mass and resulting weakness and difficulty with movement. People over 50 loseE. Curtis, A. Litwick, C. cooper. Determinants of muscle and bone aging / Journal of cellular physiology about 1–2% muscle and 1.5–3% strength per year.
• Osteopenia and osteoporosis - decrease in bone mineral density, which reduces their strength and increases fracture risk. In people over 50 years of age, and especially in women after menopause, there are oftenT. P. Staa, E. M. Dennison, H. G. Leufkens. Epidemiology of fractures in England and Wales / Bone fractures of the hip, spine and distal forearm due to falls.
• Osteoarthritis - degradationOsteoarthritis / National Health Services cartilage, which causes pain and stiffness in the affected joints. After the age of 45, the risk of its occurrence increases greatly.

One of the best ways to prevent the development of these diseases areA. R. Hong, S. W. Kim. Effects of Resistance Exercise on Bone Health / Endocrinology and metabolism resistance training, or power loads.

They protectW. L. Westcott. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health / Current sports medicine reports from loss of muscle mass and help to restore 1. E. F. Binder, K. E. Yarasheski, K. Steger May. Effects of progressive resistance training on body composition in frail older adults: results of a randomized, controlled trial / The journals of gerontology
2. C. Suita, J. L. Anderson, U. Dalgas. Resistance training induces qualitative changes in muscle morphology, muscle architecture, and muscle function in elderly postoperative patients / Journal of applied physiology strength, volume and function of muscles, increase 1.E. Curtis, A. Litwick, C. cooper. Determinants of muscle and bone aging / Journal of cellular physiology
2. W. L. Westcott. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health / Current sports medicine reports bone density and supportv. Valderrabano, C. Steiger. Treatment and Prevention of Osteoarthritis through Exercise and Sports / Journal of Aging Research cartilage health.

Moreover, strength training promotes 1. K. R. Vincent, H. K. Vincent. Resistance Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis / PM&R
2. N. Latham, C. Liu. Strength training in older adults: The benefits for osteoarthritis / Clinics in geriatric medicine
3. A. E. Mikesky, S. A. Mazzuca, K. D. Brandt. Effects of strength training on the incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis / Arthritis Care & Research relieve pain, restore mobility and slow down the development osteoarthritis.

American College of Sports MedicineW. L. Westcott. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health / Current sports medicine reports the following recommendations for resistance training:

1. Perform 8-10 exercises for the main muscle groups (chest, shoulders, back, abdomen, arms, hips and legs). Give preference to multi-joint movements - those in which several muscle groups work at once. These are, for example, push-ups or bench press (chest, triceps), pull-ups (back and biceps), squats (hips, buttocks, back).
2. Train each muscle group two to three times a week. You can load the chest, back and shoulders on Monday and Thursday, and leave the movements to work out the legs and buttocks for Tuesday and Friday. Or, for example, download whole body at each workout three times a week with a rest day between sessions.
3. Perform two to four sets of exercises for the main muscle groups.
4. Use a load that allows you to do 8-12 reps per set. At the same time, at the end of the set, it should be hard for you, but not so much that the movement technique deteriorates.
5. Perform exercises under control, in a full range. Make sure you are technically correct and increase the working weights gradually.

Strength exercises can be performed not only in the gym, but also Houses. Pull-ups on the horizontal bar, push-ups on the uneven bars, movements with compact shells like dumbbells, kettlebells and expanders will help maintain muscle strength and size just as well as training on simulators.

How to keep a clear mind

dementia is anDementia / World Health Organization one of the most common causes of disability in the elderly. In this condition, a person gradually loses memory, the ability to concentrate, think clearly and perform even simple household tasks.

About 60-70% of all cases of dementia are associated with Alzheimer's disease - a pathology of the nervous system, with which destroys the neurons of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which leads to the extinction of cognitive functions.

Physical activity is considered a good way to protect against this disease. In one six-year studyE. b. Larson, L. Wang, J. D. Bowen. Exercise is associated with reduced risk for incident dementia among persons 65 years of age and older / Annals of internal medicine found that exercising more than three times a week significantly reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people of age.

In a differentK. I. Erickson, C. A. Raji O. L. Lopez. Physical activity predicts gray matter volume in late adulthood: the Cardiovascular Health Study / Neurology experiment found that over nine years, older people who walked about 6 kilometers a week, retained a volume of gray matter in the brain sufficient to halve the risk of cognitive violations.

As for specific types of training, in all likelihood, mixed workouts work best. 1. T. Suzuki, H. Shimada, H. Makizako. A randomized controlled trial of multicomponent exercise in older adults with mild cognitive impairment / PLoS One
2. S. Colcombe A. F. Kramer. Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta‑analytic study / Psychological science
3. W. L. Westcott. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health / Current sports medicine reports regimens of cardio and strength training.

Also, yoga classes, consisting of performing postures (asanas), meditation and breathing exercises, are well suited to maintain gray matter volume.

Meta-analysisN. P. Gothe, I. Khan, J. Hayes. Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature / Brain plasticity 11 scientific papers have shown that people who regularly practice yoga from three months to eight years, there is greater volume of gray matter in different areas of the cerebral cortex and in the hippocampus, compared with the control group.

The review authors suggested that the beneficial influence on the brain occurs through mindfulness training and stress reduction in everyday life.

Thus, two or three full-fledged yoga sessions per week can support cognitive functions as well as jogging and strength training in the gym. Although it is better, of course, to combine these methods, and not to use one thing.

How to end up doing

Based on all of the above, you can make an approximate weekly plan for maintaining health:

1. 150-300 minutes of light or 75-150 minutes of intense cardio. You can allocate this time as you like. For example, every day walk for 20-40 minutes or run five times a week for 15-30 minutes.
2. Two or three strength workouts for the main muscle groups. You can do them at home, in the gym or on the sports field.
3. Optionally - two or three yoga classes for 30-60 minutes.

It is important to understand that this is only a rough plan. Each person can make his own, based on the availability free time.

For example, strength exercises can be performed at home and spend no more than 30-45 minutes on them, cardio can be made part of your life - ride a bike to work or take long walks on weekends and play mobile games with children. games.

Yoga is worth a try for those who are prone to emotional stress and want to better cope with it. Just don't miss the mental aspect of the practice: stretching is great, but focusing on your body breathing and the state of mind means nothing less.