Use It or Lose It

One of the Important Keys to Healthy Aging

You've probably heard the phrase, "Use It or Lose It" applied to one thing or another. Whether it's exercise, mental activity, work or recreation, the things we don't practice usually don't get any better and often get worse.

This is particularly true when it comes to aging because as we get older, we usually don't have the reserves of energy we had when we were younger. Isn't it interesting that this is the time when we can most benefit from keeping ourselves strong?

Why is this so, and what are the areas where we can best focus as we age?

Why This is Important

With age our bodies naturally begin to decline unless we do something to prevent it. Some of the symptoms of this include:

• Loss of muscle mass leading to decreased strength
• Slowing of muscle response times leading to slower reflexes
• Increased stiffness in joints and connective tissues causing pain and reduced movement
• Slower metabolism, meaning we generally have less energy
• Loss of bone strength, increasing the possibility of fractures
• Increases in cross-linked fibers in all of our tissues that lead to pain, stiffness, inflammation and decreased function
• You lose brain cells and your memory declines.

Fortunately, there are simple ways you can slow this process and increase your quality of life by applying the "use it or lose it" principles.

Strength Through Activity

Strengthening any aspect of your life usually has a ripple effect into other areas. We're going to address some of that on this page as well as give you some links to even more information. We'll also talk about the difficulties and challenges of wanting to improve when you don't have the energy and focus of a younger person.

Use it or lose it isn't just a saying. The 2 most important areas you can strengthen through use are:

• Physical strength, flexibility and coordination
• Mental skills such as memory and focus

Interestingly, these two have a very strong connection with one another. Recent research demonstrates that regardless of your age, physical exercise is crucial for both your body and mind.

What Kind of Physical Exercise is Best?

Generally speaking there are 3 areas where you can focus to improve:

1. Balance
2. Stretching
3. Strength

These aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, it is almost impossible to stretch without strengthening at the same time. The same is true for improving balance.

An example of one exercise that does all 3 of these is the ancient art of Tai Chi. Tai Chi, even at the most beginning levels improves your balance, strengthens your muscles and helps you stretch. Yoga has similar benefits. But even simple calisthenics can go a long way towards helping you maintain muscle mass and strength.

And you don't have to be a professional athlete to achieve and maintain improvements. Even if you can only do 30 minutes of activity 3-4 times a week you will see benefits. In fact overuse is counterproductive. The true use it or lose it approach to aging means finding the ideal amount of activity for your unique situation.

How About Mental Activity?

Similarly, mental exercise can have a very positive impact on your clarity, focus and memory. And this sort of exercise can be fun! The following are just a few ways you can help keep your mental abilities sharp:

• Working on puzzles
• Playing a musical instrument
• Studying a foreign language
• Taking up an interesting hobby or recreational activity
• Starting a new career

There isn't any need to suffer from boredom as you age, in fact it will help you feel younger!

More Resources

Click here to learn more about ways to adopt the 'use it or lose it' philosophy to your physical health

Click here to learn more ways to increase your mental well being.