Ageing: Are we really as young as we feel?

Are we really as young as we feel?

There was a recent BBC documentary called The Young Ones, where six celebrities return to 1975 to explore whether living as their younger selves could make them physically and mentally younger.  This was not your usual throw away 'reality TV show' and is well worth watching if you get the chance to find it on iPlayer.  

The results after the 1st week were remarkable, improvements in cognitive and physical function across the board.

How old???

I often feel that when I focus on my chronological age that I 'feel' my age.  So in all intents and purposes I just don't think about it.  If people are surprised at my age is it because I am just deluding myself, is it good genetics or is the amount of exercise I do that is they key?  

Well - "How old you are matters, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of ageing." says research author Markus H. Schafer, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology.  

The research from Purdue University in Indiana, USA reports that perceiving yourself to be youthful and retaining youthful activities will keep you young far more than just exercise alone.  

Tips to anti-ageing:

The environment we are in, our preconceptions about old people and how we behave can have enormous impact on how we feel about the elderly and how we personally age.

Reserve some time to make exercise playful, laugh more, be nostalgic (rather than being embarrassed about the previous decades), keep pace with current trends and reduce stress - all helps to roll back the years.  

Tag anyone? 

Source: Jan 2010 - Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences - "Age Identity, Gender, and Perceptions of Decline: Does Feeling Older Lead to Pessimistic Dispositions About Cognitive Aging?"

Health: 2 people diagnosed with diabetes every 7 minutes in the UK!

Health: Diabetes on the increase in the UK

It was announced today by Diabetes UK that Diabetes and Obesity is on the increase.  An additional 150,000 individuals have been added to the total number of those diagnosed with Diabetes sufferers (2.8 million) - this year alone.  An increase of around 5%, which equates to roughly 2 people every 7 minutes.

Is this a Diabesity epidemic?  YES.

This is a huge burden on the National Health Service, with about 10% of NHS costs attributed to treating diabetes.  

What is also concerning is that the figures above don't include those under 17, so the number would be worse if they included children,

Those most likely to be at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes are those who are overweight or being of 'normal' weight and having a large waist and those aged over 40.  The risk is greater for those age 25 or over for those of Afro-Caribbean and South Asian descent.

Another recent survey conducted in eight countries among 3,000 people with diabetes has revealed that more than one in three people skip doses or fail to take their insulin as prescribed several times a month.

Source: www.diabetes.org.uk

Diabetes UK:

"Diabetes is serious: if not diagnosed early or poorly managed, it can result in blindness and amputation or a shortened life expectancy from heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.” 

Barbell Turkish Get Up - Gym Jones Cert (Day 3)

Under The Bar:

Photo: Mark Twight - Gym Jones

Turkish Get Ups, yes I've done these before.  But with a barbell?  NO.

After progressively warming up with Kettlebell Turkish Get Ups and focussing very much on good form - we advanced onto Barbells.  My efforts below are not a pretty sight - but I managed to get the job done.  JUST!

In future practice sessions I will slow things down, and move from point of stability to point of stability under control.  This is not a move I should be rushing.  A few simple but excellent teaching points from Rob and Mark will help refine my technique and to ensure a solid base of support throughout - especially during heavier lifts.

In the video you will see my response time and reaction skills are tested rather nicely too.  You can't negotiate with the bar.

1 Rep Max Deadlift - Gym Jones Cert (Day 2)

It's Day 2 of the Gym Jones Cert and today (amongst other things) we worked on the 1 Rep Max for The Deadlift. This is a test of maximal strength.

Of course it is not something you step into cold, we 'warmed' up with 10 reps, then 5 reps, working up to 3 reps, then onto 5 single rep efforts. Increasing the load at each stage until we could lift no more.

First a little background, my previous PB (Personal Best) was 148kg which I deadlifted in May. I am now recovering from a hamstring injury so I was not expecting too much today.
However, I was pleasantly surprised with the result:

• 10 Reps : 60kg
• 5 Reps : 80kg
• 3 Reps : 120kg
• 2 Reps : 140kg
• 1 Rep : 150kg
• 1 Rep : 160 kg
• 1 Rep : 170 kg
• 1 Rep : 180 kg (just exceeds twice my bodyweight)
• 1 Rep : 190 kg/418lb (new PB)

At the 1 rep max efforts, there was a minimum of 2-3 minutes rest for recovery. I tried 2 attempts at 200kg/440lb, the bar moved an inch on the first attempt. No movement on the second.

This lift today made me realise I was far stronger than I previously thought. Of course peer pressure (as well as support) played a part and anyone who knows me personally acknowledges I am very competitive.

To be honest this was not about competition. It was a practical experience of removing some of the mental limitations to performance.

No excuses about:

• not being built to deadlift,
• or that I hadn't done it for a few months,
• or being too old to do this 
  
  - regardless of what happened today I knew it was my best effort.

Today I focused more on the act and experience of lifting, not on how much I was lifting or by comparing myself to others. I just enjoyed the journey.

Thanks Mark and Rob of Gym Jones for the experience today, it reinforces my belief that we impose artificial limitations on ourselves far too often. I wasn't the only one to experience this. Many people surpassed their previous PB's today.

190kg (418lb) Deadlift (Photo: Mark Twight - Gym Jones)

The worrying thing was shortly afterwards we did a workout called the 'Jones Crawl'! I will post a video of this max lift and the subsequent workout in the next day or so.

Update on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 15:37 by Darryl Edwards

Video Link as promised:

http://www.thefitnessexplorer.com/home/2010/11/9/1-rep-max-deadlift-gym-jones-cert-video.html