Use it or lose it

Today, on the 9th of June is my paternal grandfather's death anniversary. Even after so many years of him not being around, I still remember him to be the most active person I have ever seen in my life. With modest beginnings and a humble background,  he rose to great heights in his professional life. After retirement instead of slowing down and withering away,  he chose to be active, go for a walk, do exercises and Pranayama at home and always had a control on what he put in his mouth. I don't recall him ever eating outside food. It was also not very common in the early 90's to eat outside as it is today. Whatever my grandmother prepared,  he ate it without any complaints. Less oil, less salt, less spice was his mantra. Till the very end, he had all his teeth intact. He never had to go to a dentist in his life. He slept early and woke up early. He had no health issues. The last days after he had a fall were bed-ridden and he passed away peacefully at home admist all of us. I was not even in the 10th standard that time and I lost my biggest supporter and cheerleader quite early in life. 

Both my grandmothers lived up to the age of almost 90 and they both were mobile till the very end, except the last days of being ill and passing away. They were constantly doing some household chores, actively reading newspaper or solving the word puzzle. Thankfully they didn't have much exposure to the mobile phone much as my parents and in-laws and we have. 

What changed with our parents generation? Why are they weaker and less active than our grandparents? I almost constantly keep on telling my dad to move more and sit less often and he seldom listens to me. Sitting all the time makes muscles weak and the body just knows one truth, use it or lose it. My mom comparatively is more active than my dad. But I have seen her turn into a gullible and anxious woman from a super confident woman who worked all her life, went trekking into the Himalayas and Everest Base Camp, boarded the train at Dombivli during and peak times and went to Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus for her job and returned home with the same enthusiasm in the evening.

After the age of 70, the decline in the mass muscle is rapid and if you look around at the airports, it's always the Indian parents who are on wheelchairs in large numbers. Their kids out of love and care for the parents and wanting to give them less trouble book wheelchairs without hesitation. 

Would you also like to sit in wheelchairs once you cross 70? I totally understand that the life in India is hectic and stressful and there is no time to invest in health and healthy habits. But in order to live a healthy life till the last years, it is extremely important to keep your muscles trained and ready for later years. 

Walking, yoga, Pilates, swimming, cycling and any other form of aerobic exercise is good for your heart and please understand that it won't train your muscles as much as strength and resistance training. Women who claim to exercise by walking and doing yoga are only fooling themselves. 

To be able to lift yourself from the toilet seat or bed or sofa, it is important to train your back, glutes and hamstrings. 

To be able to bring something down from the cupboard or kitchen rack, one needs to train arms, shoulders and back. 

To be able to lift your own groceries or pull something towards you, it is again important to train your upper body. 

Your bones and muscles can take as much weight as you train them to. If you sit away all the time and don't train your muscles and bones to lift, they lose the strength and then your pace decreases and movement gets restricted. 

I don't want to end up like my parents and that's the reason,  I have seriously taken up strength training since a year. I train at home only and take care to have protein rich food and good sleep along with it. Every woman after 40 should take up strength training for her own good. It helps alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and helps in many other ways to build a strong and healthy body. 

Living in Germany, I don't want to be dependent on anyone till the very end. And I am investing this time for the next 20-30 years by working out sincerely and consistently, no matter what.  I want to do trips with my girlfriends, play with my grandkids. I want to have a good health span rather than a long unhealthy lifespan. 

What are you investing your time into?

Do you see yourself in a wheelchair at the age of 70 or hiking in a mountain?

What you do now is going to determine your future.

Pick up weights, resistance bands and start training...