You Can Grow Younger

Still Competing at the Highest Level AND Winning -- at Age 46

Colorado's Colleen DeReuck is still competing with the top runners in the world of long-distance running AND winning at age 46. Here is a video about her career and her latest victory, but first a little history:

• In 2004, at age 39, Colleen won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
• She became the women's overall USA 20K (12.5 miles) Champion on Labor Day 2009, at age 45.
• In May of 2010, now 46, she won the Copenhagen Marathon in a blazing 2:30:51 (beating all the elite women and all but 6 of the men)

Enjoy this interview of an elite runner who is showing that maybe age really is merely a number.

 

Colleen DeReuck, still winning at age 46

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

This Is the Most Powerful Tool To Maximize Brain Function

Exercise is the single most powerful tool we have to maximize our brain function. This is because of the extensive cascade of chemical compounds, including hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors, that are unleashed in and into the brain when we get in a good workout. A bit of history to explain how we know this is in order.

In the late twentieth century, scientists discovered a naturally-occurring compound in the brain and named it Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, or BDNF. They found that when brain cells resting comfortably in a petri dish were sprinkled with BDNF, they started growing -- sprouting dendrites like mad -- similar to what they do as part of our brain's mass when we are learning something new.

Since then there have been thousands of research papers written about BDNF. In these myriad studies researchers have found that when this compound is activated, it acts to protect brain cells from deterioration, strengthens neural connections and even stimulates the birth of new brain cells.

Close on the heels of this ground-breaking research, Carl Cotman at the University of California, Irvine's Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia was studying why some older folks stay mentally sharp all their days while others suffer severe cognitive decline. He found that those who keep their mental faculties fully functioning as they age had three characteristics in common: education, self efficacy and exercise.

Wondering why physical exercise would improve and maintain one's mental clarity, he devised an experiment to see if exercise would increase the release of BDNF in the brain. Since few individuals wish to donate their brains to research while they are still using them, he enlisted the help of some very enthusiastic mice. Specifically, Cotman put a running wheel in the cages of some of the rodent "volunteers." The mice were divided into groups that had access to a running wheel two days, four days, or seven days a week, or not at all. He found that the mice loved to run in the wheel to the tune of several kilometers (two or three miles) per night.

When Cotman later dissected the brains of the now-less-than-enthusiastic mice, he found that the exercise had significantly increased the amount of BDNF in the brain. Not only that, but the more the furry little volunteers had run (e.g., four days vs. two days), the more of this brain-cell-growing substance had been produced AND it was found in large amounts in the hippocampus -- the region of the brain largely responsible for learning and memory!

BDNF, however, is merely one of the compounds that flood the brain when we work up a sweat. With each workout, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) is released from storage in the liver and other parts of the body to help with metabolizing glucose to produce energy and then travels by blood stream through the blood-brain barrier into the brain where it changes roles to support learning. Also released with exercise and subsequently entering the brain is FGF-2 (fibroblast growth factor). Once in the brain, FGF-2 is instrumental in turning the hippocampus' stem cells into mature brain cells, a process called neurogenesis (i.e., the creation of new brain cells).

But that's not all by a long shot. Exercise signals the release of a multitude of chemical compounds that improve our mood, dull pain, keep us motivated and attentive and generally help our cognition. Here are a few of those compounds:

• Anandamide and Endocannabinoids -- These compounds attach to the same receptor sites that marijuana's THC uses, improving mood and pleasure.
• Dopamine -- One of the brain's neurotransmitters, it has to do with maintaining attention, staying motivated and feelings of pleasure.
• Serotonin -- This neurotransmitter helps quell anxiety and impulsivity.
• ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) -- ANP is a substance produced in the heart when the heart beats faster; it travels to the brain where it plays a role in calming feelings of stress and anxiety.
• VEGF ((vascular endothelial growth factor) -- This compound helps create new blood vessels (capillaries) to support and supply newly-formed brain cells.

That's just some of the cascade of chemicals that is set into motion when we get ourselves into motion. By the way, those new brain cells that are created in the hippocampus when we exercise, they have just 28 days to get their act together or they get "washed away." In other words, the exercise gets the brain cells ready to learn, but then we have to learn something or do something new and different or we lose the newly-formed neurons. To keep our brain growing, therefore, we need to take dancing lessons, learn a foreign language, solve a puzzle, prepare a new recipe, drive a new route home or _______.

Now you know! The most potent tool for optimal brain function is heart-thumping, muscular-contracting exercise followed by learning something new or doing something that challenges the mind! What are you going to do with this knowledge?

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

America's Oldest Sprinter Sets a World Record in This VIDEO

Enjoy this ABC network interview with sprinter Ida Keeling and watch her set a new world record for the 95-99 age group. This speedster from the Bronx, New York, didn't start her running career until age 67. After viewing this very entertaining video, go to www.twitter.com/AgeBlasters to enjoy an excellent article about Ida (complete with photos).

 

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

An Interview with America’s Marathon Man, Jerry Dunn, as He Turns 65

South Dakota's Jerry Dunn, also known as America's Marathon Man, loves a challenge. For example, in a single year, 2000, he ran 200 26.2-mile marathons. This year, to celebrate his 65th birthday, Jerry ran/walked 65 miles. Recently we got him to slow down enough to answer a few questions.

Fitter After 50: Jerry, tell us a little about your most recent challenge. 

Jerry Dunn: Well Ed, since my last great adventure, 200 26.2 milers in the year 2000, I’ve been kind of a slug [completing] maybe 4 marathons [in] 9 years.  I was starting to think America’s Marathon Man was done, not Dunn.  So my resolution for 2010 was to run and race enough to consider myself a runner again.  I ran a little over 500 miles in 2010.  I ran a couple of 5K races, some 10Ks and my crowning achievement for the year was taking 3^rd place in my age group at the 30K at the Big Horn Trail Run event in June.  I was starting to get my edge back.  Some time in October I thought to myself, I need to see if I’ve still got what it takes for one more of my outrageous endurance stunts.  It came to me…65 miles on my 65^th birthday.  Thus the challenge was born.

Five years earlier I ran 60 for my 60^th birthday all on an indoor track (480 circuits [in] 14 hours and 42 minutes.  Not the most fun I’d ever had running, but late January in South Dakota is often quite cold, so I planned accordingly.  This year I modified my plan a bit.  I reserved the same track as before, but only from midnight on the 29^th of January (my actual birthday) until 11 AM that same morning.  My goal was to get between 40 and 45 miles done in those 11 hours and then move outside and finish whatever mileage remained.  I left the field house at 11:30 AM with 44 miles completed. 

My routine during the indoor time was to run/jog 2 laps and walk 1 lap.  I was able to maintain that Galloway inspired run-walk regimen, without breaking the pattern, for the entire 11 hours.  Some of my loyal, night owl running buddies joined me for an hour or two throughout the night to keep me awake and mobile.

I stepped outside into 28 degree temps, overcast sky and little or no wind. Not a bad day for a 21 miler.  My goal was to make it to the Crow Peak Brewery by 6PM for the beginning of my self-hosted party.  I arrived at 5:42 having walked the entire 21 remaining miles.  HEY, I’m 65.  So in just under 17 hours, I had accomplished my goal.  As my buddy Gere Munro used to always say: “the pain is temporary… the pride is forever.”

In addition to celebrating the day of my birth, two other celebrations were occurring as well.  I celebrated 28 years of sobriety, and, ironic as it may seem, we also celebrated the introduction of Lean Horse Ale.

All in all it was a birthday to remember.  Not many 65 year old guys can say they ran 65 miles to celebrate what is commonly known as the retirement year.

FA50: How have you been able to stay in shape to be able to tackle 65
miles on foot when most folks in their 60s can't seem to get themselves to
jog a couple of miles or make it to the gym on a regular basis? 

 Jerry: Discipline and grace.  Except for the rather long sabbatical from serious training and running that I mentioned earlier, I’ve disciplined myself to just keep on keepin’ on.  There’s no secret formula to getting fit, or to staying fit, you just have to find something you like to do that makes your heart beat a little faster, and do it almost every day.

I used the word grace along with discipline and what that means to me is that through no effort of my own, I’ve been given this talent for endurance running.  I’m thankful everyday that I can get out of bed, lace up the running shoes and get out the door and run.  I realized many years ago that I didn’t need to understand why or how I was able to do what I do but just be thankful that I can and use the talent/gift to motivate and inspire others.

FA50: What role does diet play in your staying so fit? 

 Jerry: Much less than you might assume.  I’m not saying that I don’t pay attention to what I eat, but I don’t have any dietary regimen to which I adhere.  I mostly avoid fast foods, although not totally.  I don’t drink soda or eat much candy.  Simple, fresh and whole foods seem to work the best for me.

FA50: Are there any food supplements you take on a daily basis and what,
if anything, do you take during a challenge to help you to keep going and
to recuperate after the event?

 Jerry: I take a generic one-a-day multi vitamin and one aspirin daily. That’s it.  During my endurance extravaganzas I consume a lot of HammerGel, Endurox R4, bananas, water, some Reese’s pieces, chocolate milk and I even had a sausage-egg McMuffin at about 10 AM on my birthday run.  Afterwards … BIRTHDAY CAKE.

FA50: What is your training like?

 Jerry: 4 to 5 days a week. Low mileage most days with a 12 or 14 or 16 miler on alternating weekends.

FA50: Do you do anything in particular to stay flexible? 

 Jerry: No.

FA50: Is there a spiritual component to these challenges? What about your
mental focus during long runs and challenges? 

 Jerry: Yes, there is a spiritual component.  As I mentioned earlier I’m thankful every day that I’m still healthy and able to run.  When I’m in the later stages of one of these grueling challenges I will often repeat the Lord’s Prayer a few times.  This serves a dual purpose for me.  First of all, I remind myself through praying that what I’m doing is in fact a gift and that the mere fact that I’m doing this feat may be the inspiration someone else needs to get started toward a more healthy life.  Second, repeating the prayer acts as a mantra of sorts and takes my mind off the pain and suffering.

FA50: When running extremely long distances, is it agony, ecstasy or a
combination of the two?

 Jerry:  Some of both.  The agony usually comes in the middle to near the end portion of the distance and the ecstasy most always comes after completion.  Although there are times during most of these extremely long endurance runs [when] I experience the “runners high” and feel as though I could just float to the finish, unfortunately, that never seems to quite work out in reality.

FA50: What advice do you have for those who have been sedentary for a
while and who now want to get back into shape?

 Jerry: Take a realistic look at the condition you’re in right now.  Set a realistic long range goal.  Establish a routine and be consistent with your chosen activity.  And most importantly … take your time.  As the saying goes …”It took you all these years to get OUT of shape, don’t expect to get back IN shape overnight.

FA50: What would you tell someone looking to take a birthday physical
challenge, such as a long bike ride or run? 

 Jerry: I’d tell them what I write at the end of every email I send out: Don’t limit your challenges … Challenge your limits, and have fun doin’ it.

FA50: We understand that you are also a race director. What races do you
have coming up, and why should our readers consider traveling to South
Dakota to take on one of your races/event?

 Jerry:  My events:
Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, June 5^th  (Our 10^th Anniversary)

Black Hills 100 Ultra Marathon, June 25 / 26^th (The Inaugural)

Lean Horse Hundred, August 27 / 28^th (6^th Annual)

Run Crazy Horse 13.1 / 26.2 October 2^nd (2^nd Annual)

Why come to South Dakota for one of our events?  There is nowhere in the world more beautiful for running and walking than the Black Hills of South Dakota.  Ask any of the 20,000 plus participants who have made the trip.

FA50: Is there anything you'd like to say to wrap this up?

Jerry: I’ve noticed that over my lifetime good things seem to come to me later than for a lot of other people, so I’m excited about what life holds in store for me in my post retirement years. 

FA50: Thank you, Jerry and happy running. 

To learn more about Jerry Dunn, America's Marathon Man, and the races he directs, visit: www.LeanHorse.com

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lew Hollander -- Is His the Greatest Athletic Feat of 2010?

Bend, Oregon's Lew Hollander may have reason to claim ownership of the greatest athletic feat of 2010. Really? Really! Here are the facts so you can decide for yourself if you agree.

Lew Hollander, a physicist by profession, finished the Ironman Triathlon Championships in Kona this past October, 2010, with a time of 15:48:40. While this time is nowhere close to the times put up by the top triathletes in this race, there is good reason to nominate Hollander's athletic performance in this triathlon as the best of 2010. For one, he is 80-YEARS-OLD! Here are the numbers that make the case.

• His time was only one minute slower than his 15:47 that he registered at his inaugeral Kona Ironman in 1985 -- a quarter century earlier

• He completed this very challenging course one hour and five minutes faster than he did in 2009 and only two minutes slower than his 2007 time three years earlier
• He has entered this race 21 times and finished within the 17-hour cutoff to be an official finisher all 21 times.
• The Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and then a 26.2-mile marathon -- one of the toughest of endurance athletic events in the world
• He's 80 YEARS OLD!

The cutoff time for the swim portion of this race is two hours twenty minutes. Hollander completed the ocean swim in 1:50:11, with almost 40 minutes to spare. He was equally strong on the bike, finishing the 112 miles in 7:14:10, or an average of about 16 miles per hour. And he finished the race within the 17-hour limit by an amazing hour and 11 minutes. His time was 33 minutes faster than the only other octogenarian (Robert McKeague, 2005) to ever complete an Ironman.

Hollander, who started out as a horseman and has excelled in endurance riding and ride and tie races with more than 150 wins, entered the world of marathons and triathlons in his fifties and now has completed about 50 of each. Let's look at some possible reasons why he has he been so successful in his athletic ventures at an age when most are settling for much more sedentary pursuits.

Part of his success can be found in his diet. Hollander believes in a diet loaded with fruits and vegetables, devoid of processed foods and assisted with food supplements including amino acids. He enjoys a morning wake-up cocktail, for example, that includes glutamine, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), cod liver oil, Chondroitin sulfate and other nutrients, all mixed into a tall glass of orange juice. He has other nutritional concoctions during the day and right before bed.

Another essential part of his program for athletic longevity and good health is exercise. His morning starts with 30 minutes of stretching. He runs three or four times a week for a total of about 20 miles; swims four or five times a week, about an hour at a time; and bikes as much as he can fit into his busy schedule. He doesn't have a set routine like so many athletes do, but rather does what he feels like that day. He has written that one should "go anaerobic every day." He does this by adding fartleks to his runs and pushing the pace on his bike and during his swims.

Although that may seem like a lot of exercise, it really is not for someone training for an Ironman. Typically, this training involves about 48 miles of running per week, or more than twice what Hollander puts in. So, in Hollander's case, there must be more. That more is probably his mental focus. One of his favorite expressions in this light is to "think young and be persistent." Keeping stress to a minimum is more important as we age because stress prevents one from recuperating from intense exercise such as what Hollander put his body through. He keeps his stress manageable by being active, involved and curious. His continuing as a physicist at an age when most retire from their life's work and his love of sport and competing keep him young. What's keeping you young?

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

To find out more about Lew Hollander and how he stays so youthful, visit: http://www.lewhollander.com

 

Proof That the Mind Plays a Huge Role in How Fast One Ages (radio interview)

 Harvard sociologist, Ellen Langer, talks about a couple of the eye-opening experiments she's performed that show the tremendous effect the mind has -- our beliefs have -- on how fast we age. Startlingly great research. Take a listen.

Find more inspiring video, audio, and images at Growing Bolder.

  And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

Can America Stay Strong If THIS Continues?

The United States of America is considered (albeit sometimes grudgingly) by most folks around the globe to be the greatest country in the world, and the only superpower, although China is gaining fast. What makes a country great and powerful? Contributing factors to national greatness can be the size of a country's landmass, its access to major waterways, its abundance of natural resources, the crops it can grow, and its topography and climate. All of these factors, however, are secondary to a nation's main component, its people. The citizens of a country make it strong and vibrant; they determine its greatness.

With that in mind, here's a question worth pondering: How many, or what percentage, of a country's citizens can become weakened and slowed by chronic disease conditions before that nation's strength becomes seriously compromised?

Before we delve into that question, let's lay some framework. It is understood that when it comes to health and disease conditions, some folks have been dealt a bad hand through no fault of their own. On the other hand, many tens of millions of Americans have been dealt a good hand, but are playing it very poorly. They seem willing to let their health deteriorate to the point of becoming sick before they run (dare we say, hobble) to their pharmacist, doctor or the nearest ER to get their fix in the form of a pill, salve or medical procedure, such as having their arteries artificially propped open. That is the issue here.

Since obesity has been linked to many chronic disease conditions, let's take a look at that first. This past week a study of obesity rates around the world was released by the Imperial College London. It stated that since 1980, obesity rates worldwide have almost doubled. This report also determined that among the "rich countries," the United States had the highest BMI (Body Mass Index), with an average score of 28. To put this into perspective, 18-24 is considered the normal weight range; 25-29 is overweight: and 30 and up is obese. That means that we are getting dangerously close to having obesity become the norm for adults in America. This is particularly bad for us because the medical community has determined that being obese greatly increases one's risk for diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers, and it exacerbates other chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Let's look at where we as a nation seem to be heading when it comes to two of these maladies: diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) reports that since 2008 the number of diabetics in the U.S. has shot up from 23.6 million to almost 26 million. They also estimate that one in every three adults over age 20 now has prediabetes. If this trend continues, the CDC projects that by 2050, one-third of us will be diabetic. The current cost of diabetes in the U.S. is estimated to be $174 billion per year. Much of the medical costs and the suffering (remember, diabetes can lead to blindness, amputations, kidney failure, heart disease) caused by this scourge is unnecessary, since more than 90 percent of diabetes is Type II, which is mostly caused by lifestyle. Through more healthful eating, exercise and controlling one's weight, this disease can be prevented, delayed or substantially lessened in severity.

The news for cardiovascular disease is not much better. Currently, one-third of adult Americans suffers from some form of heart disease. If the current trajectory continues, the American Heart Association predicts that by 2030, 40.5 percent (or 116 million) of Americans will have some form of cardiovascular disease. They project that the largest increases will be in the form of heart failure and strokes. The annual pricetag for treating heart-related conditions is $273 billion and the AHA estimates that by 2030 that figure will swell to $818 billion annually. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, with their tens of billions, couldn't make a dent in that even if they donated all their money to the cause. And for a country already over $14 trillion (and growing) in debt,  this cannot be good news.

Much like diabetes, a preponderance of our cardiovascular disease can be prevented, delayed or its severity greatly lessened by taking some quite simple steps.

1. Get the physical exercise that will strengthen and improve the overall health of one's cardiovascular system. In a recent telephone survey (American Time Use Survey) only five percent of the 80,000 men and women surveyed reported engaging in any vigorous physical activities in the previous 24 hours.
2. Improve your diet. The National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Health have determined that Americans average just 4.4 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Their recommendation for optimal health and staying well is seven servings daily of fruits and vegetables for women, and nine for men.
3. Lose some of those excess pounds. Studies have shown that losing a mere 10 percent of those deleterious pounds can significantly lower one's blood pressure, cholesterol levels and substantially improve one's energy level and overall well-being. Of course these three steps to better health help with diabetes and other chronic disease conditions as well as heart disease.

Do it for your country. If we really love our country and want to make it stronger and healthier, we need to start with ourselves. We can't control what others choose to do, but maybe our good example will influence them toward a healthier lifestyle, too.

Do it for your children and grandchildren. A recent study by two economists, Eugene Steuerle and Stephanie Rennane of the Urban Institute Think Tank, determined that a couple making $89,000 annually and retiring in 2011 would receive $241,000 more in health-care benefits/medical care over their lifetime than they paid into the system in the form of medicare taxes. With 8,000 Americans turning 65 each and every day and being added to the Medicare rolls, that makes a huge financial and emotional burden for our children and grandchildren to bear.

By taking better care of ourselves, maybe we can require fewer medications and fewer medical interventions, thereby lowering how much we cost our nation and being a role model for others to do the same. By taking personal responsibility for our individual health, we collectively help our great country to be strong and healthy.

And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

Ernestine Shepherd: World's Oldest Competing Female Bodybuilder

When you see this fabulously fit and knock-out beauty, Ernestine Shepherd, in this video at age 74, you will have one of three reactions:

 Reaction # 1 -- You may be one of those who gets excited thinking that "if someone of such an advanced age can get in better shape than the vast majority of young ladies, then there is hope for me!" You want to know what she eats and drinks, what exercises she does, how she thinks, and any other factors that have resulted in her transforming herself from an out-of-shape 56-year-old with no sports or exercise background to the Guiness World Book's Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder.

Reaction # 2 -- Or will you be one of the many who will get their hackles up and get defensive when they see such an amazingly fit and thriving 74-year-old? In other words, will you feel like "this old lady is showing me up?" And will you look for excuses as to why Ernestine Shepherd can be aging so well and why you can't and in the process argue for your own decline -- your own demise?

Reaction # 3 -- Or will you fall into the third category of folks? That is, you'll simply dismiss her as a fraud or hoax, thinking that she can't really be 74 or that her incredible body is the result of surgeries, injections, questionable supplements ... Maybe you want to dismiss her as a genetic aberration, just the result of a lucky roll of the genetic dice.

Which one of those three typical reactions will serve you best? Which one has the potential to lead to a much better quality of life in the years and decades surely to come? The choice, of course, is yours!

To better appreciate the CBN video of Ernestine Shepherd, let's look at some of the factors that may have contributed to her becoming such an outstanding role model for aging well.

• Exercise -- Despite her 10-mile morning runs, regular strength-training sessions (including bench pressing 150 pounds), and 5K, 10K and marathon racing, Ernestine has never had an injury in her 17-plus years of working out. This is because she started out slowly and gradually built her fitness under the guidance of an expert personal trainer.
• Diet -- Ernestine did not leave her diet to chance. She sought out the guidance of a nutritionist to improve her eating habits. She chooses to eat several small meals a day with an emphasis on getting sufficient protein to support her bodybuilding goals.
• A Strong Faith in God -- This is attested to by her 3:00 A.M. morning devotionals she enjoys before her 4:00 A.M. 10-mile runs. Her belief that she is doing God's work keeps her stress levels low and her spirits high.
• A Desire to be a Role Model -- Ernestine feels it is her mission to help and inspire as many people as she can to know the importance of being fit and that they can be fit no matter their age.
• Support -- She has the complete love and support of her husband, Collin, her Church's congregation and many others known and unknown to her.
• A Postive Attitude -- Ernestine sees all the exercise she does and the unique lifestyle she's chosen and that allows her to excel as FUN -- not work. This competitive bodybuilder, professional model and personal trainer is having the time of her life!
• A Good Gene Pool -- The fact that she had a good gene pool that she could dive into didn't hurt, either.

Some may zero in on the last factor, a good set of genes, and downplay the others. Here are some things to think about in this regard. First, what got Ernestine into a gym for the first time in her life was her deplorable physical shape at age 56. She had to make some changes in order to go from unfit in her fifties to the world's oldest performing female bodybuilder in her seventies.

Second is her marathon running results. Ernestine has been competing in the annual Baltimore Marathon for years. In her late sixties and at age 70, her times hovered around 6 hours 30 minutes (to be precise:  6:26, 6:30, 6:34 and 6:30). Having upped her training in the last few years, this last fall (Oct. 16, 2010) she posted a 5:14 or a 12:00-minutes-per-mile pace. In other words, even though she is several years older, she improved her endurance by nearly 3 minutes per mile! All this improvement occured while concentrating on competing as a bodybuilder -- not a marathoner.

We may not be able, or wish, to duplicate Ernestine Shepherd's results in the arena of fitness, but we can see from her remarkable example that declining physically as we age is not necessary. Ernestine shows us that we can get better with age. We can get fit. With the right exercise, an improved diet and a more positive attitude toward what is possible as we age, we can get in much better shape... maybe not Ernestine Shepherd shape, but better shape for us.

Before we take a look at this professional model and world's oldest performing female bodybuilder in action, I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

 

 

To find out more about the age-defying Ernestine Shepherd, visit her website: www.ErnestineShepherd.net

Octogenarian Water Skiers

By watching these 80-year-olds (80 and 81, actually), maybe we'll be inspired to get off the couch and do something. Maybe we can do fun activites and sports that we used to love, but thought we were too old to enjoy now. These are truly amazing performances -- for octogenarians -- for most any age, really.

 

Now, how about a woman water skier? Just as impressive -- maybe more.

 

By putting our attention on men and women, such as these two award-winning water skiers, Frank Bonney and Francis Woofenden, who defy the accepted beliefs about aging, we challenge these self-limiting and self-destructive beliefs. The more often we do this the more open we become to adopting more empowering expectations for ourselves as we age.

 And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)

What an 80-Year-Old Skier Does to Continue Racing

  

80-year-old skier, Walter Maier, still enjoys skiing and competing in the giant slalom in the  NASTAR (National Standard Recreational Skiing) program. There are several levels of competition and in the Gold level Walter ranked first out of 18 skiers nationwide for the 2009-2010 skiing season. Here is some of what he does to continue to excel at this typically young person's sport.

• Makes skiing a family activity
• Eats a healthful diet heavy on fruits and vegetables from his garden and berry patch
• Doesn't smoke and drinks sparingly
• Stays active year round playing tennis, rollerblading, biking, gardening, ice skating ...
• Continues to do what he loves to do -- ski and compete

Here is one of his key beliefs from an article that accompanies the video. Walter says, "We don't fail to be active because we're old. We're old because we're not active." You can read the whole article with the video by visiting: http://www.twitter.com/AgeBlasters

Marietta, New York's Walter Maier shows us that by maintaining an active lifestyle and keeping a postive attitude we can continue doing what we love into our ninth decade and maybe beyond. What fun activities are on your agenda for this new year?

 And now I'd like to invite you to claim your FREE Fitter After 50 / Fitter for Life e-newsletter when you visit http://www.FitterforLife.com

From Ed Mayhew -- the author of Fitter After 50, Fitter For Life and other books, CDs, videos and articles on how you, too, can make falling apart as you age merely an option -- NOT a mandate. Why not make the rest of your life the BEST of your life? http://www.FitterforLife.com and  http://www.amazon.com/Age-Blasters-Steps-Younger-You/dp/1598589083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276528674&sr=1-1 (click here for paperback or Kindle editions of AGE BLASTERS)