Your Chronological vs Your Physiological Age

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old.  We grow old because we stop playing”  George Bernard Shaw

We have one good friend who was a decathlete at Penn State in his college days and currently at age 75, he still competes regularly in Masters Track and Field (including hurdling) meets locally, regionally and nationally.  We have another friend who at age 72 still plays baseball every single week, all summer long.

Chronologically speaking, these two guys are both definitely in their 70’s.  But physiologically speaking, they have the strength, speed, endurance and flexibility of someone in their 50’s or 60’s.  That is to say there’s a noticeable difference between their chronological age and their physiological age.

So how do we successfully resist the onslaught of old age?  We suggest you sit down and make a list of ten things that older folks normally can’t do.  Then make it your business to continue doing these ten things on a regular basis for as long as you possibly can.  Our list starts with sprinting, and also includes a little weight lifting.

Next Post:  The Carcinogenic Coach

The Stop Watch VS the Heart Rate Monitor

A stop watch tells you how fast you’re running. It works in terms of distance per unit time, i.e. miles per hour, meters per second, or yards per minute. A heart rate monitor tells you how hard you’re working. It works in terms of heart beats per minute.

For a young athlete, a stop watch is very important. For a senior athlete however, a heart rate monitor is vastly more important than a stop watch.

Pam: There are a variety of heart rate monitors on the market, but I wear a Fitbit. It gives me all kinds of valuable feedback including how many steps I take in a day (yes, it’s a pedometer), to how many miles I ran during a particular workout.

But most importantly it serves as a constant heart rate monitor. For example, when I’m reading a book in the evening it gives me my resting heart rate, which is currently around 60 beats per minute. When I’m running long my heart rates gets up around 120 beats per minute and it stays there throughout the run.

But when Rick and I are sprinting my heart rate varies from a high of around 160 beats per minute in the midst of a sprint, and it goes back down to around 120 beats per minute when we’re walking in between sprints to recover. This kind of variation is typical of all high intensity interval workouts.   

For a senior athlete Rick and I agree that (aside from appropriate footwear which we’ll address at a later date) a heart rate monitor is probably the most important piece of equipment you can get your hands on. And yes I do love my Fit-Bit.

Next Post: Chronological VS Physiological Aging

Doctor’s Orders…

No, we’re definitely NOT suggesting that you start sprinting behind your doctor’s back. If your doc says that you should avoid high intensity interval work such as sprinting, then you should definitely take his opinion into account.

However, bear in mind that most doctors are inherently conservative due to a little concept known as LIABILITY. Liability insurance is grotesquely expensive. And if the doc makes a mistake and gets sued, guess what happens to his monthly insurance premium. It goes right through the ceiling!! So it’s no wonder that most doctors are conservative with their advice.

So, certainly don’t ignore your doc’s advice. But don’t allow him to dictate your life either. In the end it’s your life and you should be the one who decides what actions you’re going to take and what actions you’re going to avoid.

And of course what we’re reporting on here is nothing more than our opinions which are based on our own experiences. And neither of us are medical doctors.

On the other hand, if we were to both keel over and cross the finish line in the midst of a 100 yard sprint, all we can say is, what a way to go! What a way to go!!

We have a friend who once confessed to us “I’m less afraid of dying than I am of failing to live while I’m still here to do it.”  We find ourselves in agreement. What a way to go!!!

Post     #6: Heart Rate Monitor VS Stop Watch