by Steven Snell
Preserving physical mobility is central to maintaining a high quality of life. It’s required to be fully independent to maximize participation in our community. Unfortunately, aging is associated with a progressive decline in mobility, as well as cognitive and physical function, leading to a loss of independence. About 15% of Haysborites are over 65 years of age. But let’s not focus on age. Some of us are older than our age suggests, and some younger due to wise lifestyle choices.
While the causes of physical disability are diverse, geriatric researcher Dr. Anton reveals a growing body of evidence strongly indicating that chronic low-grade systemic inflammation plays a significant role in contributing to muscle loss and overall functional decline. Inflammation ages you physically, perhaps before numerically.
The type of aging we experience is not only a product of our genes, but also lifestyle factors such as nutrition and exercise. You’re not born as a blank slate, but the final composition you paint is at your will.
As we know with exercising, when we exert ourselves, we need time to recover. Our cells mirror this process. If we expose them to stress over time, they become damaged. When we’re younger our ability to defend against stresses is higher. When our ability to defend against stress is compromised the stress becomes prolonged, which is one of the mechanisms that accelerates aging.
Over time, stress and body fat interact to reduce muscle mass and function, and ultimately mobility loss or disability. Body fat surrounds and infiltrates muscle and organs. This fat secretes compounds which induce constant muscle stress and inflammation, which in turn accelerates aging.
However, Dr. Anton states, there are promising lifestyle interventions to avert levels of chronic systemic inflammation during aging. These can preserve cognitive and physical function as we age. Aspirin and fish oil have shown positive results. But ultimately, losing body fat, and enhancing mobility and physical performance, are long-term lifestyle behaviours with beneficial outcomes to slow how old you feel. You’ll be younger than your age suggests.
