Over the years, I have been fortunate to associate with people who have served as inspirations to me.
Let me introduce you to one of these individuals. Meet Brian. Brian is someone who has embarked on an incredible journey that will continue to pay tremendous dividends for a lifetime.
It was only a few months ago that Brian first showed up on a Sunday morning to walk with the members of the New Albany Walking Club. As soon as my eyes focused upon the rotund physique of this mid-40-year-old, I began to wonder about his motives, not to mention his ability.
Could he walk a hundred yards? I knew he would not be able to keep pace with our slowest group even for a very short distance. But whenever first-timers join us, I stay back and walk with them so that they feel a part of the group and, hopefully, inspired to return.
Very quickly, I became familiar with Brian’s motives for wanting to walk. Brian did not hesitate to let me know he needed to get fit. As he explained to me, he could not walk from the couch to the television in his home without a bout of breathlessness; at one time, Brian weighed 380 pounds.
His condition resulted in him taking 90 units of U-500 insulin with every meal. This regimen was only one small pixel in a high-resolution photo of his poor health. If I had to list the number of health issues precipitated by his weight, this health column would consume a good part of this magazine.
Changing the Landscape
I have always promoted the virtues of keeping physically active regardless of one’s age. And now, the most recent research has confirmed the notion that physical activity, even if initiated later in life, will enhance one’s well-being later in the life cycle.
In a recent major study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that being or becoming fit, even in middle age, can positively impact the aging process. Researchers analyzed health data of close to 19,000 men and women with a mean age of 49. What was uncovered was significant.
Those adults who were the least fit during middle age were also most likely to develop serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung cancer early in the aging process. However, the adults who were the most fit in their 40s and 50s developed many of the same health problems, albeit later in life. Instead of living the final 10-20 years of life with chronic illnesses, the aerobically fit people managed to develop and live with their chronic illnesses in the final five years of their lives.
While the research showed that aerobically fit people may live longer than those with poor levels of fitness, it was more important to note that being physically fit enabled people to live well longer during the later years of life.
A point to understand is that one’s ability to attain a level of aerobic fitness may be determined by one’s genetic makeup. However, much of a person’s fitness at middle age is determined by participating in aerobic activity. Thus, even if a person is unfit by the time middle age arrives, beginning a program of aerobic activity during this period of the life cycle can stave off the most common chronic diseases.
Beginning with small segments such as walking 10 minutes a few days per week can prove to be valuable in delaying the onset of various illnesses. People who have not participated in a program of physical activity, especially in older age, and want to begin one should consult a physician.
Brian’s Story
I do admit that Brian’s story is atypical. It’s not every day that I come across a person with his medical history.
But here is Brian today. Through a regimen of diet and walking, Brian has lost 130 pounds. While he continues to lose weight, his weight loss has had a profound positive effect on his health. He is no longer an insulin-dependent diabetic and is richer for the experience (he was using one bottle of U-500 insulin every 10 days at an approximate cost of $500 per bottle). Brian also has significantly reduced the blood pressure medication he takes daily and is expected to be off it in the very near future.
As for his aerobic ability, his training has resulted in accomplishments previously thought of as fantasy. In this year’s New Albany Walking Classic, Brian not only competed in the half marathon (that’s 13.1 miles) but he achieved first place in his age group with an average speed of 12:59 per mile. By all standards, that is fast!
The next time I come across a couch potato baby boomer complaining that it’s too late in life to begin an exercise program, I will share Brian’s story and then tell this person to take a hike – literally.
Dr. Phil Heit is Professor Emeritus of Physical Activity and Educational Services at The Ohio State University.
