Becoming a world class athlete wasn’t something Amy dreamed of as a child, it’s something she accidentally fell into – after having 3 children. After leaving the finance world to focus on her family, Amy discovered the sport of triathlon.
What if there is a fountain of youth? Is there a secret to fighting off the effects of aging? Fighting the effects of aging on our physical and mental health, as well as the aesthetics of aging is a multi-billion dollar business and growing; but what if the secret wasn’t in creams and lotions, injections and surgeries but in 4 simple actions.
4 key ways to thrive as you age: Strength, cardio, balance & mobility
The pillar of strength
Muscle mass is a leading indicator of longevity, with a direct relationship between how much skeletal muscle a person has and how long they live. The more muscle, the longer a person tends to live. But after the age of 30, we start to lose muscle mass if we don’t actively strength train. Why is muscle mass a leading indicator of longevity? Muscle mass is connected to our metabolic health, injury prevention, hormone balance, and even glucose control. Think of skeletal muscle as a stabilizing force on the body.
There isn’t an age limit to start resistance training. You can start at any age and gain the benefits of increased muscle mass. Start with bodyweight exercises, then graduate to resistance bands and then to weights. You can employ a trainer to help guide you, join a fitness class specializing in resistance training for older adults, or try the 50/50 Challenge.
The 50/50 Challenge is completing 50 squats and 50 push-ups, but it’s not as daunting as it sounds. Standing in front of a kitchen table to counter, hold onto the counter for support and complete 10 squats by lowering yourself to a comfortable level while maintaining your balance. Then, standing in front of the counter, extend your hands and brace the counter. Lean forward, lowering your chest to the counter, and push back, executing a standing push-up. Repeat 10 times. You can also use a wall. Complete this set of supported squats and push-ups 5 times and you have the 50/50 Challenge. Doing this daily builds muscle and confidence.
The pillar of cardio
Cardio is fuel for the brain by increasing how quickly we think (processing speed), improving our memory, and problem-solving. It also improves our mood and energy. Our cardiovascular strength is so important that “poor cardiorespiratory fitness carries a greater risk of death than smoking.” (Attia, 221) We measure a person’s cardiorespiratory fitness by testing their VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen they can absorb). The higher a person’s VO2, the stronger their cardiovascular system is. Most importantly, our cardiovascular system is dynamic, meaning we can improve it at any age, and it doesn’t require running a marathon.
All it requires is walking. Specifically, walking fast enough to raise your heart rate and be slightly breathless but able to carry a full conversation. This is called Zone 2. Completing Zone 2 work by walking for 60 minutes improves your overall VO2. Whether power walking in a mall, walking outside, hiking or walking on a treadmill, you improve your cardiovascular health. You can start at any age to reap the benefits while increasing your longevity and cognitive strength.
The pillar of balance
Our ability to balance starts to decline at the age of 50. The average person in their 50s is able to balance on one leg for 45 seconds; by the age of 70, it decreases to 28 seconds, and by the age of 80, it drops to 12 seconds. It’s no wonder that over half of people aged 75 and older fall each year. Balance, like muscle mass and cardiovascular strength, is an indicator of longevity. Working on improving your balance not only diminishes your chances of reducing falls but it also increases your longevity.
One simple way to improve your longevity is practicing balancing on one foot. Start by standing at a counter, raise one leg up and hold it for as long as possible and then repeat on the other leg. Work towards being able to let go of the counter, slowly increasing how long you can stand on each leg without assistance. This one exercise practiced daily increases your balance, and abdominal and leg strength.
The pillar of mobility
Mobility is a word we hear more frequently, what it means is the range of motion of our joints and spine. The greater our range of motion the more flexibility and stability we have in our joints. As we age our range of motion is hindered by arthritis which can be painful and often limits the quality of life. In the past, the advice regarding arthritic joints was to splinter the joint or limit the range of motion. To reduce or stop activity that forces the joint to move. A meta-analysis study conducted in 2020 confirmed: “Any exercise is better than no exercise.” (HU, Huiling, et al. Nov 2020)
Limited mobility quickly shrinks our world, preventing us from engaging with friends and family, and reducing our ability to go outside. Working through a daily stretching routine, or joining a Tai Chi class, or taking a yoga class, all help improve mobility and keep us engaged with the world.
Creating a routine
Using the 4 Pillars of Movement, you can create a daily routine:
Start each day with a stretch routine
Follow up with balance exercises
Complete your 50/50 challenge
Go for a walk
Making this daily routine a habit will build a strong, vibrant body.
Amy Moss-Archambault, Trainer, Athlete and Owner of Get TriFIT
Becoming a world class athlete wasn’t something Amy dreamed of as a child, it’s something she accidentally fell into – after having 3 children. After leaving the finance world to focus on her family, Amy discovered the sport of triathlon. Within 3 years of her first race, she was competing for Canada at the ITU world championships while raising 3 kids under the age of 6. Her training was unconventional, but the ingenuity she brought from her athletic training gave birth to a business that would span the globe, inspiring women to push their physical limits without sacrificing time. Amy developed a method to increase power, endurance and strength in 20 minutes – with or without equipment, all while making the impossible seem possible. By combining the lessons she learned about mental resilience as an athlete and behavioural science into her training method, she launched Get TriFIT, a global online fitness solution.
Works Cited:
Attia, Peter, and Bill Gifford. Outlive. Harmony, 28 Mar. 2023.
Drum, Cassie. “Your Ability to Balance on One Leg May Indicate How Long You’ll Live | Jefferson Health.”, 2 Mar. 2023,.
Luks, Howard J. “Muscle Mass, Strength and Longevity.” Howard J. Luks, MD, 13 Sept. 2019. Accessed 11 May 2024.
Research, Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition. Regulation of Muscle Mass and Function: Effects of Aging and Hormones, National Academies Press (US), 1999.
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