Speed Up To Slow Down Aging

Erik Lehane, a dedicated physical therapist with expertise in preventive care, is the visionary founder behind The Gaitway Group (thegaitwaygroup.com). Through this venture, he empowers active seniors with the knowledge and tools to "add life to their years." For inquiries, contact Erik at [e-mail].
Take your time. Easy does it. Hold your horses. Slow and steady wins the race. Since we could tie our shoes, we've been told to slow down… or else. But if you're an active senior aiming for a life full of independence and quality, nothing could be farther from the truth.
If you look at data on physical abilities as we age, it becomes clear where the greatest decline occurs. With dedication, strength can be preserved, as well as flexibility, balance, coordination, and aerobic conditioning. Speed, however, often falls off a cliff, and unfortunately, we follow. Speed does not kill - lack of speed does.
Speed is a building block of power, and power is our lifeline as we age. Without the ability to produce power, the mere act of getting out of a chair can become a monumental feat. Power equals force times velocity (speed), or how quickly we can generate strength. As the years pass, our speed declines, and consequently, so does our power.
To be clear, we will never regain the speed we once had, but we should fight tooth and nail for every ounce of speed we can muster. This is where the problem lies.
When was the last time you sprinted? Really turned it loose? For many, it's been years, possibly decades. Unfortunately, the old but true saying "use it or lose it" plays in the background.
If we lose the ability to move with speed, life will inevitably take a sharp turn down a long road of decline. A vicious cycle ensues, where we no longer partake in activities that are key to our health span, leading to a loss of function that prevents us from doing them.
Just as blood pressure is a barometer of our health, speed of movement is also indicative of our well-being. The Timed Up and Go (TUG) assessment, used in physical therapy to measure speed of movement, strongly correlates with physical and mental health.
We cannot prevent the loss of speed as we age, but we can impact the extent of that loss. This can make the difference between struggling to stand from your recliner at 85 and getting on the floor to play with your great-grandchildren.
If you are an active senior not in pain and without medical contraindications to exercise, it is in your best interest to start exercising for speed, ultimately sprinting.
Sprinting checks all the boxes. It is the ideal exercise for active seniors because it demands both strength and speed, critical attributes for our health span. Sprinting requires the ability to gather strength quickly by stimulating type two (fast-twitch) muscle fibers. These fibers are the catalyst for power production. Preserving or even enhancing power will enable you to enjoy life to the fullest in the years to come.
There is a process to do this safely, and you can start today if you do not have any medical contraindications to exercise. Walk one mile three times a week for three weeks. Progress to walking a mile and inserting 20-30 second intervals where you walk faster. After another three weeks, incrementally increase the speed of your 20-30 second intervals. Continue this process, gradually increasing your speed. The key is to slowly build your body's capacity to safely tolerate the demands of running. Once you have achieved sprinting, maintain a schedule of five sprints (20-30 seconds each), three times per week.
Speed may be a young person's game, but active seniors don't have to sit on the sidelines. While we may never catch up to our younger selves, our future selves will ultimately win the race. Speed up to slow down aging.

[@joyslove3858]

Thank you for the encouragement.
This makes sense!

[@lov2playtn]

Excellent instructions!