Should you change your regimen as you get older?

[Source: East Coast Cycos newsletter, in Tri-Rudy newsletter, October 2, 2008]

Workout habits should be geared toward your level of fitness, not age. Both Allen and Moss say they're in much better shape today, at 40 and 39, respectively, than they were in their twenties. Both say they know far more about training now and have better focus. "Hey, if you're older, you should have more bucks and more time to train," Allen argues. "So if you're 60, you should be more fit than a guy who's 30."

That said, though, there are many important physiological changes taking place as we age. In addition to the deterioration of lean muscle mass, reduced calcium in the bones, and diminished aerobic power, we lose flexibility as the collagen fibers of tendons become joined, making us more vulnerable to injury. Thus it's crucial to warm up and stretch longer, both before and after exercise.

Still, these changes also make it more important than ever to keep working out. Studies have shown that strength training can reverse muscle atrophy while increasing protein retention, bone mass, and energy levels, even in the very old and frail. Cardiovascular work can lessen the decline in aerobic capacity. And regular exercise decreases the risk of age-associated illnesses such as Type II diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis. "Inevitably, performance is going to deteriorate," says Roy Shephard, author of Aging, Physical Activity, and Health, "but we shouldn't let that discourage us."