Why Exercise Is Important

For anyone in a senior management position in the corporate world, not getting time to exercise is the norm. So then, how do you motivate yourself? Lack of muscle elasticity and strength can lead to poor mobility, aches and pains, generalised loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and leads to physical disability and poor quality of life. Between the ages of 40 and 80, an estimated 30 to 50 per cent of muscle mass is lost, resulting in lower strength and less ability to carry out everyday tasks. This process ‒ known as sarcopenia ‒ is common and clearly linked to frailty and poorer health in older people.

So by the time you hit retirement, all set to enjoy your savings, you are walking with a weak spine, knees that hurt, lower and upper back pain, recurrent cervical attacks, weight gain, higher sugar levels due to lack of activity and generalised fatigue. If all this seems very familiar to you (and you’re far from retirement!), it means that your muscle strength and muscle mass is poor. Follow the easy steps listed below to start reversing this and walking towards a healthier ageing process.

*Up the C & D: New research shows that vitamin C consumption is linked with skeletal muscle mass. It defends your cells and tissues from harmful free radicals. Unopposed, free radicals can contribute to destruction of muscle, speeding up ageing. Fruits, vegetables and supplementation with vitamin C (under supervision of a nutrition expert, not a medical doctor) are some of the best ways to reduce this accelerated ageing. And since you hardly have time to go out and bathe in the sun, getting adequate vitamin D supplementation will ensure stronger bones and stronger connectivity between the bone and muscle mass, important for muscle strength.

*Take folic acid. Folic acid has multiple benefits. It has wonderful heart-protective properties, can prevent deformities in the unborn child in the uterus and now increasingly emerging evidence demonstrates that folic acid plays a role in improving muscle function and strength. Dosage is 5 mg daily.

*Reduce ageing. Researchers at the University of Birmingham and King's College London have found that muscle mass and strength loss did not occur in those who exercise regularly. In a study group, men who exercise regularly had higher testosterone levels, suggesting they may have avoided most of male menopause (yes, that’s a thing). More surprisingly, the study also revealed that benefits of exercise extend beyond muscle as subjects had an immune system that did not age either.

*Make a choice. So what is the perfect exercise for someone who doesn’t have the time to exercise? Walking. Walk for 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes before dinner and 20 minutes, two hours after dinner (not immediately after). This much walking can be done by anyone with a hectic lifestyle. If you have work meetings, request a short break for everybody just before a working dinner commences. As a leader, inculcate this habit, and inspire your team to stay healthier and more agile, leading to higher energy and efficiency at work.

We all have choices. Medical science will keep us alive long, what our quality of life will be depends upon our daily habits and good muscle strength, which lead to higher agility and mobility.