Aging. Millions of people spend their whole lives trying to find the next anti-aging trick. Entire movie plots are based on a villain going to the ends of the earth to gain “eternal life”. Beauty companies make billions selling creams and powders to make us look younger than we are. We will all age and there is nothing we can really do about it. But in this article, I want to share with you a few things you can do to help with the aging process so you can be fully able and available to do all God has called you to.
God had designed our bodies to function in a specific way. Just like a car was designed by the manufacturer to run for a specific amount of time and mileage, our bodies are a vehicle God has given us to do all He has called us to. Just like the car has a process for maintenance, our bodies have specific things we can do to maintain and ensure that function properly. One of the best things we can do to help our body age and foundation properly is to move. Our bodies were made to move.
As people age, we usually see the fall into 3 main problem groups:
- As they age they get more and more fragile and weak. Their muscles and bones experience atrophy and they are increasingly at risk for falls and broken bones.
- As they age they get tighter and experience a significant reduction in their range of motion.
- They experience atrophy AND tightness
Now while we will never completely counteract these symptoms we can help to slow the process down. Movement not only helps us to gain stronger muscles and bones, but it can also help every other system in the body function better. From our brain to our skin and everything in between. So what can I practically do to counteract these symptoms? Great question! There are 2 main areas to focus on.
First, get a consistent routine in your life of putting healthy stress on your body. This might look like working out, playing a sport, or even going for a brisk walk. Putting healthy amounts of stress on your muscles and bones will help to counteract the atrophy as you age. Preferably you want to do exercises that take your muscles through their full range of motion. If you don’t take your muscles through their full range of motion you will lose that range of motion much quicker as you age.
Second, stretch! Recovery is often overlooked. Every time you exercise take 10-15 minutes to stretch out the muscles you just worked. Stretching is just as important as the workout. This will help to avoid injury as well as keep you more flexible as you age.
You can start at any age, but the younger you start building this foundation the better. If you have kids or grandkids you can bring them into your journey and help them build a foundation at such a young age. It will encourage and keep you accountable, but it is also a great way to train them up in the way they should go so that when they get older they don’t depart from it. Our resources for kids and adults can help you get started for free as well! Check them out and get free access. God wants to give you the grace to steward the body He has given you. You got this!
Ashton Tate is the founder of Glory to Glory Fitness in Franklin TN, and the creatorof The F.O.R.M. Curriculum, a turn-key and Biblicallybased health curriculumfor schools and familie
