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Why At 64 I Prioritize Strength Training Over Aerobic Training

August 22, 2021 By John Leave a Comment

*This post about why at 64 I prioritize strength training over aerobic training is a bit long, but, because of the nature of the subject, it needed to be comprehensive.

Why At 64 I Prioritize Strength Training Over Aerobic Training

Maybe you’ve visited your MD recently for your annual physical. She points out to you that the “couch potato” lifestyle you adhere to is not the best medicine for aging well. So she suggests that maybe you should consider doing some exercise.

Or maybe you’re reaching middle age and realize you’re not in the best of shape. Climbing those stairs are definitely not as easy as they were 10 years ago. You know you have to do something to improve your health.

So, you consider putting on the trainers and going for a jog around the neighborhood. 

After all, isn’t that what you do to get fit? Aerobic training is the way to go, right?

But how much aerobic training should you do? Is a 20 – 30 minute walk five days a week sufficient or should you do some higher intensity training like cycling?

Screeching Halt!!

Let’s back up. Let me ask you this question. If you’re getting to middle age, is aerobic training even the best exercise for you? 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Wellness

Alzheimer’s Disease Is Surging Among Millennials – What’s Going On?

July 23, 2021 By John Leave a Comment

Alzheimer's Disease is surging among millennials

Many of you in the baby boomer generation have already experienced this terrible scenario: A few years back, you noticed your aged mom or dad starting to forget things. Then it started to get worse. And then before you knew it, they were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

This is not an unusual occurrence. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 5 million people living with dementia and about 70% of those have Alzheimer’s disease. And these numbers are expected to increase.

But if you think Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is only something “old people” get, consider this. A recent report from the health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield revealed that AD and early on-set dementia is surging among millennials. 

That’s right. If you’re one of the older millennials and you think that AD is only something you have to worry about when you get older, then think again.

This observation from Blue Cross Blue Shield seems to correlate with a new study performed by researchers at Stony Brook University.

The researchers at Stony Brook found that communication among brain regions can begin destabilizing in individuals much earlier than scientists previously thought. Some individuals showed brain deterioration as early as their forties which worsened with age. 

The importance of this is that as brain destabilization increases, cognition decreases.

The Stony Brook study also found that younger adults who had type 2 diabetes (T2D) exhibited brain network destabilization (i.e brain age) that was found in much older non-diabetics.  

This finding was not novel. Many previous researchers have found that T2D and insulin resistance, a condition found in T2D, are highly associated with AD. 

The bad news and the good news

Okay, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of good news here. Americans are getting dementia at younger ages. Our brains begin deteriorating at much younger ages than we thought. And if we have T2D or insulin resistance, our chances of getting dementia probably increase.

So what do we have to look forward to as we age? A progressive loss of cognition, possibly at a younger age with the possibility of something far worse such as AD. 

Not necessarily! There’s a silver lining in this cloud.

The Stony Brook study also included a unique experiment that seems to confirm what other research has suggested. Dementia may be significantly tied to diet and how our brains use glucose for fuel.

This means that if we can adhere to some common sense dietary guidelines, we may be able to significantly reduce our chances of getting some form of dementia whether in early or later age.

Let’s take a look at the Blue Cross Blue Shield report and the Stony Brook study, and then see what we can do to improve our brain function and cognition throughout our adult life.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Wellness

How To Make Dieting Successful: Strategies For Keeping Off The Weight You Lost

June 23, 2021 By John Leave a Comment

Dieting

Losing weight is probably one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. This is attested to by the spike in gym memberships seen every January.

While some people successfully follow through on their pledge to lose the extra pounds, most of us seem to fail to win the endless battle against our bulging waist and hips.

We try and try to lose weight, and we may for a little while, but something happens, and we gain it right back.

If this has happened to you, and it probably has if you ever dieted, you’re not alone. In fact, 80 -90% of people who diet and lose weight eventually regain it.

However, there are several strategies you can use to win this battle. For instance, a recently released scientific study has shown that increasing the amount of protein in your diet can help you in your fight against regaining the weight you’ve lost

In this post, I’ll take a look at why we tend to regain weight when dieting. This insight will give us some good clues on how to craft a winning diet loss strategy.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Wellness

Are You Getting Enough Dietary Protein To Maintain Healthy Muscle Quality?

May 24, 2021 By John Leave a Comment

protein meal

* This post is a little long because I couldn’t think of what to leave out. Everything seemed important. Hopefully, when you’ve finished reading you’ll understand the critical importance of adequate protein consumption for good health and aging well. 

As you get older, you begin to take more notice of your age and the age of those around you. 

You start seeing more older men and women who are unable to navigate the simple physical tasks of life without the help of an aid. 

Maybe you’ve seen it amongst your loved ones. Your aging dad’s once powerful arms and legs now have shrunk to what appears to be mere skin and bones.

Your mom, now definitely well into her senior years, seems to be permanently attached to her walker.

Maybe we notice it more because there’s a fear in us that we may end up like that as well. After all, isn’t frailty and weakness just an inevitable part of growing old? 

Well, we may believe that’s what aging is supposed to be like because that’s what we generally see. But does it have to be that way?

Not necessarily.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Wellness

Can Starting An Exercise Program In Your 50s Help You Live Longer?

April 23, 2021 By John Leave a Comment

exercise 50s live long

Okay, so you’ve reached middle age. You enjoy your time reclining comfortably on your couch after a hard day’s work. Perhaps tonight you’re watching a show on TV featuring trim athletic people scampering around, and you suddenly let out a sigh.

You remember back 20 or 30 thirty years ago when you yourself were in good shape. Maybe you played soccer or lifted weights or ran 10 Ks. You were fast. You were strong. You were agile. But that was in the past. Now you’ve consigned yourself to being a couch potato extraordinaire.

“What’s the use of remembering the glory days anyway?” you muse. “That was then. This is now.”

But wait a minute. While you may never again be able to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club or Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby (though if you worked really hard you’d be amazed what a proper diet and exercise can do for your physique, even at 60), you still may be able to recapture most of the health benefits you lost by not exercising for 30 years.

That’s right! If you start doing moderate to vigorous exercise every day, right now, you can reap almost the same benefits of longevity as someone who at your age has been exercising their whole life.

It sounds too good to be true, right? But it’s true!

Check out this recently published study.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Wellness

How We’re Staying Healthy At 64: Barbara and John’s Diet And Exercise Strategy

December 15, 2020 By John Leave a Comment

healthy at 64

As Beatles lovers, Barbara and I have sometimes laughed about what it would be like when we turned sixty-four. If you’re a Beatles fan, you know why.

Their song When I’m Sixty-Four is a story about a young man wondering if the love of his life will still cherish him when he’s sixty-four. The man recognizes that growing older changes you. He sings,

“When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.”

Then he laments,

“Will you still need me
Will you still feed me
When I’m sixty-four”

Well, at sixty-four, Barbara and I still need each other, and we still feed each other. And, as you can see from her recipes, I get fed pretty good. 

As far as the negative effects of aging go, we’re not experiencing a lot of downside to being sixty-four. We’re both stronger, healthier, and have more vitality than we had 20 years ago.

However, health officials are constantly reminding us that there is a downside to being 64. We’re told that because of our age, we’re close to that “high risk” category for catching “bad things”. You know what I mean.

That may be so. But it’s not really a major concern for us. Here’s why.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Wellness

Our Strategies For Getting Healthier And Stronger at 63

November 23, 2019 By John Leave a Comment

Barbara and I are quickly approaching our 63rd birthdays. November for me and December for her. And now, even though we are kind of “senior citizens”, we are healthier, stronger, more agile, and trimmer than we’ve been since our thirties.

To be honest, I feel the best I have since I was 32 years old. For me, that’s especially significant because I suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for about 25 years. But, thankfully, I’ve overcome that and now I have enough energy to strength train and enjoy life.

As for Barbara, well, she looks “mahvelous”. And her energy levels are amazing. Take a look at her Instagram page here. At 63 years old, she deadlifts, squats, overhead presses, and bench presses every week. And after lifting, she heads to the kitchen to whip up one of those awesome recipes she features here on the blog.

Neither of us takes any prescription meds and we look forward to aging as an adventure to share together instead of something to be feared.

Now, I’m not saying that we never wake up with some assorted aches and pains. We do. But most times it’s related to that heavy weight lifting session we had the evening before. Barbara is always quick to remind me that, “It’s a good pain.” She’s right, of course.

In this post, I’d like to share with you what we’re currently doing to stay fit and trim. Our strategies are pretty much the same but in different degrees.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Wellness

Your Attitude Toward Aging Might Influence Your Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

March 8, 2019 By John 1 Comment

How do you feel about aging? The answer to that question really depends on who it’s being asked of, right? If you’re under 40, this question probably seldom enters your mind. Like relationships, raising kids, and paying bills.

However, for those of you over 40 who know your body is starting to betray you, it might be a question that’s been entering your mind more often these days.

So, how do you feel about aging? Do you embrace the fact that you’re going to be a senior one day or do you despise it?

Your answer to the question really matters because it can profoundly affect how well you age.

A study conducted last year by the Yale School of Public Health showed that how you feel about your own aging can have a profound impact on your risk of developing dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Spirituality, Wellness

How To Start Strength Training If You’re Over 45 Years Old

February 2, 2019 By John Leave a Comment

I recently received a call from my sister asking me for some suggestions on what kind of weight bench she should buy.

Being the inquisitive fellow that I am, I asked, “What in the world do you want a weight bench for?”

“Really, don’t know what a weight bench is used for?” she answered.

Touché. I deserved that. Wiseguy older brothers deserve to be knocked down a peg or two.

What my sister was really asking me though, was how she, a mature woman, should go about getting stronger.

In my last post, I explained why everyone over 45 years old must strength train. In today’s post, I’ll introduce you to a strength program that is guaranteed to improve your muscle mass and make you stronger.

And here’s the icing on top of the cake.

It’s uncomplicated, time efficient, inexpensive, can be started at any age, can be done at home, doesn’t require prior experience, and has delivered amazing results for thousands of people. Even for those in their nineties. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Wellness

If You’re Over 40 Years Old And Want To Live a Healthier Longer Life You Should Strength Train: Here’s why

January 21, 2019 By John Leave a Comment

Everyone wants to find a fountain of youth. But it’s only a myth, right? However, what if I told you there is something you can do that’s scientifically proven to help you live a longer, healthier life? And, it’s safe, effective, efficient, inexpensive, and only takes about 30 – 40 minutes three times a week.

Oh, and you can start doing it no matter how old you are! Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it! 

But it’s not. At 62 years old, I’ve done it, and it works. It’s called strength training. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fitness, Wellness

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Hi! I’m John. Welcome to the Progressing Pilgrim. I’m 64 years young and I’ve created this blog to share the health, fitness and spiritual strategies that have turned my life around. If you’re looking to become a healthier (physically and spiritually) version of yourself you’ve come to the right place. Eat Well. Lift Heavy. Oh, I also produce historical videos! Soli Deo Gloria! Read more…

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