Action Worth Investing In
By following the six-week plan, specifically the walking and strength programme, you can feel confident that you will lose weight.
VO2 MAX
Most researchers who have evaluated the effects of ageing on the stamina of the heart and lungs have focused on ‘maximal aerobic fitness’ or VO2 MAX. This refers to the body’s maximum ability to take in oxygen, transport it around the body in the blood and use it to burn fuel in the muscles. This is considered to be the single best indicator of the changes that occur in the body with ageing. After 25 years of age, VO2 MAX normally declines at a rate of 8 to 10 per cent per decade for both men and women. Approximately half of this decrease has been related to people exercising less and gaining weight as they age.
We all tend to have different VO2 MAX values. Athletes have very high values, meaning that their bodies are better able to take in oxygen and use it to produce energy. Normal people have more average levels. With age, however, nature takes its toll on all of us and we all experience a decrease in our VO2 MAX.
What This Means to You
A lowering in your VO2 MAX can cause a decrease in your performance, your everyday ‘huff and puff’. Physical tasks that seemed easy now require a little more effort. You may feel out of breath and that you don’t have enough energy. But it doesn’t have to be like this …
What You Can Do
At any age, if you exercise vigorously and keep lean you can have a much higher VO2 MAX. Research has shown that athletes aged from 65 to 75 can have the VO2 MAX of young sedentary adults and are capable of performing at levels once thought physically unattainable.
But we do have to be realistic. Even among older athletes who exercise vigorously throughout their lives, VO2 MAX will still eventually decline. The important point, however, is that the rate of decline will be much slower. A US study examining former elite long-distance runners over a 22-year period found that regardless of how much they trained, all did eventually lose aerobic fitness; but (and this is a big BUT) the rate of decline may be lessened for up to 20 years if an individual takes regular vigorous endurance exercise.
Action Worth Investing In
You’ll find that the six-week walking plan can have a significant impact on your cardiovascular fitness. It will give you more huff and puff and loads more energy. If you combine it with the six-week menu plan, you’ll lose 5–10 per cent of your excess weight. Your clothes will fit better and you will look younger.
Oestrogen
For women, oestrogen plays a significant role in controlling calcium absorption and retention in the bones, so when it starts to decline it can have a big impact on the body.
What This Means to You
Without adequate oestrogen, women over the age of 50 are at increased risk of osteoporosis, stress fractures or broken bones. In addition, research is showing how calcium has a vital role in helping the body burn fat. The exact mechanism is not entirely understood but studies have shown that when people consume inadequate amounts of calcium, the body stores more fat, resulting in weight gain. But it doesn’t have to be like this …
What You Can Do
Most experts say that calcium should come from the diet. (For details of good dietary calcium sources.) Resistance training is an excellent way for women of all ages to stimulate and maintain bone growth. Hormone replacement therapy, although once considered promising, now appears to have little or no positive effect on bone mass growth.
Action Worth Investing In
Following the six-week menu plan will help boost your calcium intake, while just by completing the six-week strength plan twice a week, you’ll experience big improvements in your physical capacity, body tone and strength.
Other Hormones
Many hormones play a significant role in the body. As we age, hormonal changes can affect us in many ways. You will come across a number of them in this book – here is an overview of the most important ones.
