The Aging Athlete and How CrossFit Reverses the Plagues of Age
February 7, 2024
We all age, that is bound to happen.
If there is some magic way to keep my mind and body at 27 years old, but still age normally and die at the right time, then sign me up (I don’t want to live forever!). Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case.
No, instead I will age just like everyone else… Well, probably not (Heads-up: you can too)
I say probably not because I do CrossFit. I have done CrossFit and I will continue to do CrossFit for as long as I can. Currently, I do CrossFit at a pretty intense level. My goals aren’t to go to the CrossFit Games, but my goals are to get in the best shape I can and that means pushing myself HARD. Will that always happen? No. But I intend to make improvements in every workout. And that will always be the case for as long as I do CrossFit.
Event
ually, age will start to cause some decline, I expect that. But it won’t be drastic and it will take a long time for those effects to really take place. That is because I do CrossFit. I do cardio: I run, bike, row and ski (I should also swim but I don’t… oops). I practice gymnastics: I get inverted, I press and pull my body weight, I spin and balance. I also lift weights: Snatch, Clean & Jerk, squat, press and deadlift. I do that often and I vary how I do it. I keep things constantly varied and attempt to do all of it at a high intensity. I follow the methodology that makes CrossFit as effective as it is.
I share this story, this insight, because you need to know my approach to this subject.
Aging happens. It happens to every person for every second of every day, until we die. And there is no escaping it. Sounds pretty dark. But there is a way to slow it down, even reverse it (to a degree). That way is through exercise and healthy life habits. Anybody can do it and it doesn’t have to be done with CrossFit. But there is no better way than CrossFit to slow and reverse the aging process.
That is because CrossFit forces a person to do everything they need to improve fitness. By lifting weights we increase strength, power, muscle mass and bone density. By doing cardio we improve our cardiovascular system and by doing gymnastics we improve our balance, flexibility, coordination and agility. When we get stronger and improve balance we can support ourselves for longer. If we fall, we have lower chances of injury and breaking bones. Did you know that
the leading cause of injury for adults aged 65 or older is falling
, and that
f
alls
are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults ages 65 and older, and the fall death rate is increasing.
If we lift weights and fall, having higher muscle mass provides more padding for our bones and having greater bone density lessens the risk of breaking bones which both lessens the chances of dying from injuries. If we practice gymnastics, the odds of falling decrease significantly.
For individuals 75 years of age or higher, the leading cause of death is heart disease
according to Stanford Medicine Ethnogeriatrics. CrossFit works the cardiovascular system by doing high intensity workouts. These shorter, high intensity workouts burn a lot of calories due to
EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption)
. EPOC burns more calories post-work and continues to burn calories for a longer period of time compared to long, low intensity workouts. Over time that will lead to an improved cardiovascular system, decreased body fat and plenty of other favorable outcomes. Thus putting a halt to cardiovascular-related incidents and deaths.
To most of us, that doesn’t seem all that important because it isn’t staring us right in the face. But it will someday and when that happens it’s probably best to be prepared. Be prepared by doing CrossFit. Do it often and do it at high intensities and reap the benefits of what CrossFit has shown to do repeatedly for years across a MASSIVE sample size.
Read the journal article that was posted on
CrossFit.com
appropriately titled
How To Thrive Past 75: Maintaining Health And Quality Of Life With Age
and try to tell me that CrossFit isn’t just as much for your parents, grandparents, friends and family as it is for me, or you or you CrossFit buddies. If anything, it is MORE important for them than it is for us. Odds are CrossFit can change their lives for the better, and who wouldn’t want to help their loved ones live a better life?
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