Exercise is probably the most important part of the plan for meaningful life extension. Strength correlates to global health outcomes very well. The ability to perform aerobic exercise is a key tool for risk stratification for cardiac risk before elective surgery. Can you hold your own weight in your arms and walk a block? Can you walk up 4 flights of stairs without stopping? If you can now, do you think that you will be able to 20 years from now?
The age-related decline of muscle mass is known to begin around age sixty and progress yearly. If you have specific activity goals for your 70s and 80s you need to train to meet a goal higher than that at age 60.
The exercise and fitness evaluations are performed by a licensed physical therapist and will benchmark your current state for your goals. DEXA scan will demonstrate your lean body mass (muscle mass) and a V02 max test will demonstrate your maximum cardiopulmonary output. This information will be used to construct a personalized plan for exercise for you to use on your own, with me or a personal trainer. This will allow you to get where you want to be at a certain point in time. The plan will focus on weight training, low intensity aerobic conditioning, intense aerobic interval training as well as balance and flexibility. Activities which engage all of these areas at once (yoga, skiing, surfing, rock climbing, dancing) can be especially beneficial.
