This New Year, reflect on how far your body has brought you. As we begin to measure our age in decades, the more you realize how your body has got you here, maybe with some bumps, bruises, and the like, but you are here. Each year past the age of 30, your body begins to lose 1% of muscle mass per year, and 1% of your cardiopulmonary ability to pump blood and deliver oxygen to the body. Over 10 years, that seriously adds up to 10% in ‘untrained’ individuals. Untrained in this context refers to people who do not regularly engage in Physical Activity (PA). The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of PA most days of the week, which can include household chores, yardwork, farming, ranching, gardening and the like.
To mitigate the loss of muscle mass and cardiopulmonary function, it really only takes a small investment each week. It is important to start early, and we are talking during childhood so that our youth have the Physical Activity Literacy to pick-up these activities they learn when they are young later in life: hopping, skipping, jumping, running, throwing, hiking, wild play at recess so that it is second nature as adults. Certainly, your child can specialize in swimming, golf, basketball, volleyball, and the like; it is the conditioning they will lean on as they get older to help maintain their health.
The Special Diabetes Program for Indians advised participants to walk since it is easy and can be done anywhere. A loss of 7% body weight led to the prevention, or delay of developing Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). They combined this with lifestyle balance classes to help participants improve their eating habits. Completing 40 minutes of lifting weights in a Resistance Training (RT) can also help keep off the extra pounds as we age–the earlier you start with an RT program, the easier it will be to start later in life. We want to preserve the muscle we have, and add some where possible, given all of life’s responsibilities with family, work, community, etc. A car with more cylinders burns more gas; a body with more muscle burns more calories in the same way. Carrying more muscle will help with preventing excess weight gain, and improve quality of lifespan as we age to remain independent and handle Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s).
To accomplish the 30 minutes per day, most days of the week, you could go about your normal chores around the house, farm, ranch; and add in 2-4 days of RT to get in your 40 minutes, which could be 10 minutes a day for four days, or 20 minutes per day for two days. That would give you a well-rounded PA plan. Combining this with the USDA recommended “MyPlate” of filling your plate: ½ Fruits and Vegetables, ¼ Protein, ¼ Carbohydrates, you would be well on your way of improving your lifestyle as you meet the challenge of the years ahead of you by planning and implementing regular PA and RT today for all of your ADL’s.
With a Lifestyle Change New Year’s Resolution, to improve your health, your commitment will have a healthy impact on your family, friends, and community beyond the few weeks of wanting to lose a few pounds and more time in the gym as we step into 2026. Consult with your doctor what an appropriate level for you would be for the place to start.