You might have heard the old saying: “Use it, or Lose it.” This applies to all of us, no matter what our age; but it applies even more to those of us who have passed our fitness potential peak in our mid-thirties. While you’re never too old to learn to dive, or to continue diving, so long as you can pass those dive physicals, it can be easy to slip into a rut and suddenly find that you feel as though you’ve lost your edge. The good news is that it is possible to maintain and even increase physical fitness levels with age; just look at those ninety-something year old folks running marathons! If they can do it, the odds are good that you can too.
Understanding the Physical Effects of Aging
The average person gains about three pounds per decade beginning at the age of twenty, which is not really all that significant, particularly if you stay physically active and follow a healthy diet.
In addition, blood pressure often increases with age; the average sixty year old man has a blood pressure of 140/90, with normal blood pressure being at 120 / 70. Does that mean the average sixty year old man can never consider diving? Hardly! There are many ways to reduce blood pressure and increase health.
Cardiovascular exercise and strength training are two priorities everyone who wants to dive should focus on, and they’re even more important for older divers, since the primary cause of death in divers between the ages of fifty to seventy is heart failure.
Age Is More than Just a Number
Actually, age is a set of three numbers. Your chronological age indicates how many years you’ve been alive, while your biological age indicates how your fitness and health rates in comparison to that of others from different age groups. Your training age is the length of time you have spent on a regular exercise program; this third age enables us to achieve good results from our fitness efforts. Age does not present a barrier to muscle formation; in fact, most age-related fitness difficulties can be directly related to lifestyle choices and their cumulative effects. When we choose to do more, our bodies adapt, resulting in a decreased biological age. When you maintain your activity level, the ability to stay fit gets easier with every year that passes.
Fitness is Possible at Any Age
It is possible to find people 50 and older who are just as healthy as most 20 year olds, and even healthier than some younger people who have chosen to live a sedentary lifestyle. That doesn’t mean you have to set your goals so high that achieving them seems impossible, all it means is that you should work toward ease in all functions of life, whether that means hiking, carrying luggage, or diving. For diving, you need healthy lungs and a strong heart, plus good circulation, or perfusion of your peripheral tissues. These functions don’t have to go away when you get older – that belief is something that has been suggested by society.
Declining fitness levels are not natural. It’s never too late to become healthier and more fit; in fact, a sedentary 30 year old is more out of shape than an active 65 year old is. The difference? You can achieve it in 30 minutes per day, with just a little focused exercise. Remember to speak with your doctor before beginning your new regimen, and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Diving is something you can enjoy no matter what your age. All it takes is a little effort and the desire to achieve your dreams.