By Ross Sohooli

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just stay young forever? You know, just head out to the fountain of youth; take a sip to stay young or reverse that whole “getting older thing.” It would be nice, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. We all age, but how we age is within our control to some degree.

We are going to get older no matter what. There is absolutely nothing that we can do about it. However, it is fair to say that we all want to feel as young and lively for as long as possible. We don’t live forever, but we can stretch it out to some degree and at the same time improve the quality of those golden years. What are we doing to improve our quality of life? There are actually many things that can improve our overall quality of life, but I want to focus on staying physically active and exercising regularly.

First, we’ll address some preventable causes of premature death. There is smoking, high blood pressure, overweight/obesity, inadequate physical activity or inactivity, high blood sugar, high LDL cholesterol, high dietary salt intake, high dietary transfatty acid intake and alcohol abuse. Some of these risk factors can be hereditary, however most are the result of voluntary choices that we make in our daily lives.

Now, let’s talk about the “Big Three.” Smoking is responsible for approximately 20 percent of all deaths in the U.S. High blood pressure is responsible for 17 percent of all deaths. Obesity and physical activity accounts for another 17 percent of all deaths. And how about the following incredulous statistics: High blood pressure causes five times as many deaths as breast cancer. High blood sugar kills three times as many people as alcohol abuse. And two thirds of all deaths can be attributed to high blood sugar, obesity or high blood pressure. One million, fifty-one thousand U.S. deaths can be attributed to poor dietary choices. The bottom line is that roughly 45 percent of all non-accidental deaths can be prevented! Smoking or alcohol cessation is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, but being physically active and exercising can drastically help with all of these preventable causes of death.

What’s stopping us from taking action? We are.

Now, let’s change the subject and talk about an upgrade. What is an upgrade? The definition of upgrade would be to raise something to a higher standard in particular to increase or achieve improvement. We are always getting upgrades in life: a new car, more expensive clothes, the most-up-to-date phone, new jewelry, bigger tires, etc. If we strive for those types of upgrades, why not upgrade yourself. Upgrade your body. Upgrade your health. Feel more youthful. Exercise can do this for you! It also has been proven to help with achieving general life satisfaction such as your mental, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Let’s not forget about keeping that youthful appearance as well. Exercise maximizes the quality of years and not just the number of years. Upgrade yourself.

Keep in mind that this is not a selfish concept. Consider the people you love as well. If we are living a very unhealthy lifestyle, doesn’t that affect our families and friends? Engaging in our children’s lives would be a fine example. If we are living a sedentary lifestyle, we wouldn’t be able to physically engage ourselves in their lives like we should. Playing ball with a child or retrieving an infant from a car seat is difficult at best for the unconditioned. On a more serious note, you wouldn’t be able to stop that 1-year-old grandson from running into harm’s way on a busy street! (Let’s face it, once toddlers learn to walk, they see something, and they just go, requiring lots of scooping up!)

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity three days per week for adults aged 18-65. Strength training is also recommended at least twice a week consisting of 8-10 exercises for at least one set of 8-12 repetitions each.

Unfortunately, the fountain of youth has not yet been found. However, by making some lifestyle changes, we can extend the time we have and maximize the quality of life. It can all start with physical activity and exercise. The goal is to die young, as late as possible.

Russ Sohooli is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and can be reached at the Vidant Wellness Center–Washington, 252-975-4236.