How slow do we slow down as we age?
“I’m old; therefore, I must slow down.” This might be true but how slow are we supposed to slow down? Not by much as research now suggests.
Scientists have always been stumped as to why fitness deteriorates, or why we slow down as we reach a certain age. Even in elite athletes, the heart becomes less efficient in doling out much needed oxygen-rich blood as they age.
A recent study by Dr. Fair, an election analyst from Yale University, familiar with this phenomenon being an avid runner even at the age of 70, analyzed the rate of slowing down in elite runners. Using statistical tools, Dr. Fair published his work in 2007. As published, the rate of slowing down was of a linear fashion until athletes hit the age of 70 and from thereon was a more significant rate of decrease. Using this pattern, Dr. Fair was able to come up with a calculator that could predict running times as people got older.
After investigating the data, Dr. Fair teamed up with a fellow Yale colleague Dr. Kaplan and re-examined the data of elite athletes and master runners. It turns out that your running times at the age of 90 might be two times that of your fastest time in your youth.
This is really encouraging. If you run a 10 kilometer distance for an hour now, expect to hit 10km in two hours at age 90.
This is a promising statistic as this shows the functionality and capabilities of the human body up until old age.
So how do we stay young?
1. Retain as much function as possible. Encourage the elderly to exercise.
2. Care for nutrition and health. Don’t just exercise but look to nourish your body by eating healthy food.
3. Don’t overtax your body. Stay at the edge of your ability when you exercise. As a sidenote, my grandfather’s brother Jesus Solon is an inspiration. He’s over 90 years old and walks for at least an hour daily, except when it rains. Thanks for being an inspiration, Tito!