Checking out your 'Health Age'

Friday, March 5, 2010

For the last fifteen years or so, I’ve felt myself getting older. I suppose that makes sense since that’s what I’m doing, but do I have to feel it too? A couple of weeks ago, I decided I was going to do something about it and I’m already feeling better, but there are some things happening with age that I don’t think I will be able to change.

I was on the www.exrx.net site recently and completed the ‘health age questionnaire’. There are many versions of this and their intents are the same. Answer questions about your lifestyle and family history and receive an age comparison to your real age. Since I’m doing wonderful things for myself right now, my age came back as ‘35’ or 19 years younger than my actual age.

Don’t smoke. Keep your blood pressure in the normal ranges. Watch your cholesterol. Exercise regularly. Don’t get fat. And the most important one – pick your parents carefully. Do all these things and you’ll live longer, for sure.

I do all of these things and that’s how I got the thirty-five years for my ‘health age’, but I don’t do any of it because I think I’m going to live longer. I mean with all of the cycling I do, some idiot driver will get a little too close and that will be that. Or maybe it will happen when I’m climbing some peak in the Adirondacks and I just get unlucky and a rock from above falls and squashes my head like a melon.

Whatever.

The point is…I’m 54 and I can and do still ride the bike. I can and do climb peaks and hike all day carrying a heavy pack. I can grab my mitt and ball and throw with some heat and accuracy and not have to ice my arm for the next two days. I can do the ‘Survivor’ workout as well as some kids in their twenties (at least I will this summer). I’m in the game when I want to be instead of a spectator because I have to be. I assure you – neither my dad or grandpa did these things when they were 54 (okay, sure my dad didn’t like sports and never did any of them anyway– but his lack of activity would have prevented him from doing things had he wanted to). Well…you’re not stupid. You get it.

So – go ahead and check your ‘health age’. It’s good to know the kinds of things, statistically speaking, that could make a difference in the years you’ll live. But when you get down to it, it’s all about the quality – not the quantity.

Oh…and by the way…I did climb on the trainer again for a sixty-minute ride. I really looking forward to riding outside this weekend.

Bike duration: 60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 125 bpm

Calories burned during workout: 900