Why We All Want To Stay Young And How To Do It
It￢ﾀﾙs no secret￢ﾀﾔwe are a youth obsessed culture. We are constantly looking for ways to avoid the aging process, hoping to stall out somewhere in our mid 20s with rock hard abs and glowing skin. But you know what? I don￢ﾀﾙt really want to be in my 20s again. I know so much more now, I have so much more now, and I￢ﾀﾙm able to focus on the things that really matter.
Don't get me wrong￢ﾀﾔthere are parts of getting older that are the pits; stiff joints, indigestion, strange aches and pains, less stamina, more hair where I don￢ﾀﾙt want it, more fat, less energy￢ﾀﾦall things I could certainly live without. But what if there was a way for me to grow older, to enjoy the benefits of being 30, 40, 50, 60, without all of the crappy stuff? Well, according to Grandpa Jack, that￢ﾀﾙs totally possible.
The Perception of Aging
In his 1985 book Natural Healing: The Total Health and Nutritional Program, Dr. Jack Soltanoff, my grandfather, associates the following symptoms with the American perception of ￢ﾀﾜaging:￢ﾀﾝ


Shaking hands
Tottering gait
Stiff joints
Noticeable loss of muscle mass, tone, and strength
Accumulations of fat that goes on easy and is hard to shed
Reduction of motor ability, balance, flexibility, and reflexes
Decrease in work capacity
Increase in various injuries
Increase in cholesterol and blood pressure levels
Slower metabolism
Decrease in resilience of arteries
Brittle bones
Lack of coordination in nine body systems (nervous system as an example)


Quite a list, right? As you read down, you can actually begin to picture an aging body. The interesting thing is that the majority of these ￢ﾀﾜsymptoms￢ﾀﾝ can also be transferred to a person who has had a lack of physical activity. Think of someone who has been sick in the hospital for months on end, or the way we would depict a political prisoner, or someone locked up in a cage for extensive periods.
Even if they were 20 years old, they would have a tottering gait, stiff joints, noticeable loss of muscle mass and tone, loss of flexibility and balance, slower metabolism, and higher blood pressure. All of these ￢ﾀﾜsymptoms￢ﾀﾝ can be a result, at any age, of a lack of movement. So, if we￢ﾀﾙre able to bring on the symptoms of ￢ﾀﾜaging￢ﾀﾝ with a lack of physical activity, can we also stave them off by engaging in more regular activity?
The Answer is Yes
In fact, all of the expensive face cream in the world won￢ﾀﾙt do as much for keeping your body active on a regular basis as does movement. A strong balanced musculoskeletal system may not seem sexy and exciting, but the older you get, the more thankful you will be for the ability to get around well. As the years pass, the more physically fit you are, the more youthful you will feel and appear.
Here are some of the most important exercises you can do to keep yourself young:

Weight bearing exercise. We￢ﾀﾙre not talking about heavy weights, or weight lifting, but rather strengthening the muscles with light weights or resistance bands is critical to avoiding many of those above listed symptoms of aging.
Stretching. Flexibility, range of motion, and balance are both affected by how much and how often you stretch. Starting every morning with some simple stretches and calisthenics is a great place to start.
Regular activity. While we love the idea of you going to the gym or joining a yoga class, one of the key factors in aging well is ￢ﾀﾜleading an active life.￢ﾀﾝ This means walking instead of driving sometimes, gardening, playing with your kids. One of the biggest impediments to staying active today is the sedentary nature of our jobs. Sitting for 8 hours a day 5 days a week is a sure fire way to feel the effects of aging at a younger and younger age.

Stay Active at Work with Voom
Need a little motivation to bring more physical activity to your day? We￢ﾀﾙll provide you with the stretches, strengthening, cardio, and mindfulness exercises you need to keep your body and your mind looking, and more importantly, feeling, young.





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Want to give Voom a try? Use promo code GETVOOMING for a complimentary week of Voom! Just sign up for a free account and enter the code at checkout in lieu of payment. What do you say￢ﾀﾦare you ready to achieve the healthy changes you￢ﾀﾙre after?
Sources:
Soltanoff, Jack. (1988). Natural Healing: The Total Health and Nutritional Program. Warner     Books: New York, NY.
Photo Credit: Jack Affleck
http://blog.voomwell.com/blog/bid/395431/The-Real-Secret-to-Staying-Young