Stopping exercise accelerates aging... The reason why exercise becomes more essential with age [Decision-making]

 

 

Story of CBS Announcer Seo Jeong-am

 

 

As you age, your physical strength declines and your body doesn't feel the same as before. Even if you decide to exercise properly, finding the time to do so is often difficult. Additionally, the risk of injury during exercise is higher than in your youth, which becomes another reason to hesitate. However, in fact, the older you get, the more you should exercise. When you're young, muscles can grow or be maintained naturally even without much exercise, but as you age, muscle mass decreases due to aging and fat increases.

CEO Jung Joo-ho, who operates Start Train (rehabilitation for body and mind), appeared on CBS Nocut Biz's 'Silkeot' channel's 'Decision Making' and said, "Getting older is a process heading towards death, so naturally we are gradually losing our health," and emphasized, "During times like this, we should increase exercise to slow down that pace."

Aging cannot be stopped, but it can be delayed.

CEO Jeong emphasized that exercise can slow down the aging process. "Around thirty, friends tend to look roughly the same age, but by sixty, even friends can appear to have a 20-year age difference," he explained. "This stems from differences in exercise and self-care." Regular exercise helps maintain physical functions and prevent aging. In fact, people who exercise consistently tend to look relatively younger and more energetic even as they age. While exercise cannot completely prevent aging, it is an effective way to slow down its pace.

 

When you feel like things aren't the same as before, you must start exercising.

Is there an age when you must start exercising? The best approach is to begin exercising when you feel that your physical strength is no longer the same as before. From your 30s to 40s, many people actually notice a decline in stamina, so it is advisable to start exercising seriously from that point. According to the '2023 InBody Report' conducted by the healthcare company InBody, while muscles continue to grow during childhood, muscle mass in Korean men begins to decline around their mid-30s. It is important to consistently engage in strength training no later than your mid-30s.

Exercise intensity should be pushed to the point of overexertion before injury!

CEO Jeong said, "It's always good to push yourself to the limit during exercise." The 'limit' referred to here does not mean risking injury, but rather feeling challenged or strained. Just as someone who usually sits all day finds walking difficult when they suddenly try to walk, and someone who normally walks finds running hard when they suddenly try to run, it is beneficial to engage in exercise that consumes a level of stamina slightly above one's current state, ensuring that pushing oneself is done safely.

 

 

You must properly allocate the three essential exercises.

Whenever you exercise, you should always combine three types of exercise. First, anaerobic exercise that increases strength and muscle mass; second, aerobic exercise that enhances cardiovascular endurance; third, stretching that improves flexibility. Regardless of age, it is recommended to perform these three exercises in a 1:1:1 ratio. For example, if you exercise for one hour, you should allocate 20 minutes to anaerobic exercise, 20 minutes to aerobic exercise, and 20 minutes to stretching. If you feel that your strength is very lacking, you can increase the proportion of anaerobic exercise, and if you feel that your flexibility is insufficient, you can gradually adjust the ratio by increasing the proportion of stretching.

Is daily exercise good? Muscles also need recovery time.

CEO Jung recommended that seniors after middle age should exercise for about 30 minutes a day. He emphasized that younger people should exercise for at least over an hour. He also advised doing exercise every other day rather than daily, about 3 to 4 times a week. Exercising daily can lead to muscle fatigue. If one insists on exercising daily, it is better to divide the workouts to avoid using the same muscles each day, such as one day for back exercises, another for leg exercises, and another for chest exercises. This allows muscles time to grow and recover. Lastly, CEO Jung mentioned that alternating between anaerobic and aerobic exercises daily is also a good method, and that doing aerobic exercise every day is acceptable.