More energy, better relaxation and much more
OMG, Old With Smile! That’s the great title of the new book by Esther Kollmann and Annette Wichmann. It’s a 40+ woman’s handbook with tips from head to toe. The book tells you everything you (don’t) want to know about aging: from hair to feet. We asked Esther and Annette why we should keep moving.
First of all, why this handbook?
We started writing OMG because we ourselves needed a complete reference book about aging. A kind of encyclopedia in which you can look up all possible age-related ailments per body part, with clear and concise explanations of what happens in the body and with tips on what you can (or cannot) do about it. Since we are mainly talking about medical information, we did not act overnight. We’ve carefully selected our sources and had every part checked by a medical expert in that field.
Move, move and move some more
While writing the book, we often found ourselves repetitive when it came to giving the tips. In many chapters it emerged that movement has a positive influence on that part of the body in question. We do know that exercise is good for you, for your condition, for your muscles, for your mood. But that it has so much influence on the functioning of many more body parts, we found that an eye opener. Our body is very ingenious; with a single movement you can exert so much influence on the overall picture. By understanding why this is, you are much more motivated to stick to at least the minimum daily dose of exercise: 30 minutes of moderate intensity. For example, for a 50-year-old, a brisk walk through the park already brings benefits.
Here are the top eight benefits for your body:
1. Good for the bones
We reach the highest bone density around the age of 30. Once women start producing less estrogen around the age of 40, this bone loss accelerates. During the transition you lose about 3 to 4 percent per year; after that the decay slows down a bit and is on average 1 percent. You don’t notice this much at first. It is a gradual process that you should keep an eye on. Movement is the most important thing for maintaining your bones. The German surgeon Julius Wolff noted it as early as the 19th century: bones get stronger the more you put them on and become weaker the less you put them.
2. Good for the muscles
Exercise is also important to maintain your muscle mass. By training the muscles they become stronger. As you get older, they take longer to build up, so you need to keep maintaining (read: training) your muscles or they will shrink. Of course you will never come back to the same level as a 25-year-old, that is no longer possible. But you can still make muscles stronger at any age. A good example: the 80-year-old model Wang Deshun, famous as China’s hottest grandpa, still walks the catwalks with a six-pack. He has to set aside a few hours every day (swimming and strength training) but – and here it comes – he only started training at the age of 50. The degree of intensity of exercise also plays a role, of course. Walking or cycling achieves less than with sports such as tennis or swimming. Strength training is the most effective.
3. Good against too much (organ) fat
A woman who does not exercise enough will lose approximately 7.5 kg of muscle mass between her 30s and 60s, which is replaced by an average of 15 kg of fat. That’s a good example of a really bad trade. You can slow down this process by exercising more, which is not only good for your figure but also for your overall health. Those extra kilos of fat are mainly located around the abdomen: the organ fat. That fat is unhealthy. For example, a third of overweight people develop type 2 diabetes. This is the most widespread chronic disease in our country and the main cause of heart attacks and strokes, among other things. A lot of (belly) fat can not only lead to diabetes but also to higher cholesterol.
4. Good for the production of the good cholesterol
Cholesterol is an important building block for the body, part of which is absorbed into the blood through food. You have good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol. The bad variant sticks faster to the inside of the blood vessels, the good variant, on the other hand, drains this excess. This prevents blockages. After menopause, your LDL levels increase by anything from 10 to 14 percent. Movement ensures the production of HDL, so that the increased LDL can be better removed.
5. Good for blood pressure
As you get older, you are more likely to have higher blood pressure because the arteries become stiffer and narrower. That’s not good for your heart; it has to work harder and harder. And it’s not good for your blood vessels, which are constantly overloaded in this way. Regularly increasing your heart rate through exercise is good for the necessary relaxation, the condition of your heart and vessels, blood circulation, smooth blood vessels and for lowering blood pressure.
6. Good for Digestion
With aging, the processes in the body all run less efficiently. For example, fewer digestive juices are made, which means that foods are not digested as well. Poor digestion can result in insufficient minerals and vitamins being obtained from the diet. Various deficiencies can arise. Movement actually helps digestion to run as smoothly as possible.
7. Good for the lungs
Our lungs begin to function less well from the age of 30. Of course, this is a very gradual process and you really don’t notice that overnight. But your condition is deteriorating; the maximum amount of oxygen that the lungs can absorb decreases (an average decrease of 1 percent per year). Fortunately, with exercise (especially cardio training) you can ensure that your stamina declines less quickly. And don’t panic for the inactive over-50s; you can still catch up with your active peers. With an hour of brisk walking three times a week, you can improve your fitness by 5 percent within six months. With intensive training you can even make 30 percent progress in one year.
8. Good for the brain
Exercise also has a positive effect on the brain. Playing sports stimulates your planning and strategic ability. In addition, exercise is good for your memory and can even increase your brain volume. It is not clear why this is so; it’s thought to be because better blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. But hey, does it matter? We had to keep moving anyway; also grab your brain right away.
And this is not even all. Exercise gives you more energy, you can relax better, sleep better, you have a natural need for healthy food, you get better skin, a better mood and we can name a few more.
Read more?
These tips come from Esther Kollmann and Annette Wichmann, authors of the book OMG Old With Smile. Esther and Annette wondered: what awaits us all? After extensive research and input from experts, they have become a lot wiser. They are happy to share this with us, which resulted in an informative, enlightening and humorous handbook. A must read for every 40+ woman.
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