Have you heard anyone say this? Have you yourself been wont to say it? A few people have told me this. The unfortunate thing is, the ones who say this are the ones who need it the most.

There are a number of benefits to training in the CrossFit way, but a few are of particular benefit to anyone wanting to stay self sufficient late in the game of life. I don’t know about you but I want to be able to walk around, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, take a shower all by myself until the bitter end. In order to make that happen I have to prepare for it, just like you would prepare a retirement portfolio to make sure you can afford to live until the end. Make sense?

Here are a couple things that people don’t do, that they should do, especially as they get older.

Lift weights. Lift heavy weights. There are a number of reasons for this. One of them is that heavy resistance training increases bone density. That’s right, it will make your bones stronger and denser. This means that women should lift heavy weights, because their risk of osteoporosis is higher then men. Another reason to lift heavy (namely in squats and deadlifts) is that it will keep your back and your posterior chain nice and strong. This will allow you to stand up straight, get out of bed, pick up your grand kids, anything you want, all by yourself. Not to mention that lifting increases your lean body mass, thus decreasing your fat body mass, and a lean body is a healthy one. (Notice I said lean and not skinny! Perhaps a topic for another day.)

So that covers why everyone should lift heavy. Now why should we get all riled up and sweaty? Simple. Increasing your cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary capacity is a useful thing for all people in all situations. I would rather sweat now a couple hours a week, then lug around an oxygen tank later. Not only that, it keeps the heart strong and efficient. The stronger and more efficient you make your heart and lungs, the less they have to work. It’s not uncommon for advanced CrossFitters to have resting heart rates that are half that of “normal” people. Think of that in terms of say, an automobile. If you and a buddy each bought the same model car on the same day with the same starting mileage, and you drove yours have the distance buddy does, whose car will last longer? Probably the one whose engine has half the miles on it…

Now you’re probably thinking that these are all great arguments for why young people should start training to get fit, and you’d be right. These are all great reasons for young people to get on this ASAP. However, as of right now you have 100% of your life left, how do you want to live it.

Here is some testimonial excerpted from the following CrossFit journal (#26, October 2004)

“About 3 1/2 years ago, at the age of 69, I was fretting because I couldn’t pick up my 13-pound granddaughter. I figured that in order to get her into my lap, I would have to wait until she could climb there! … I developed a bond with the Gravitron (with lots of help) and could squat only with poor form, and only to the highest plyometric box. Sit-ups followed the squats, and by the time I had done five sit-ups, I knew that one of the components of my quads had given up… actually failed! My first workout was over! … In the days, weeks, and years that followed, my reps and weights increased… I can now pick up my granddaughter and, now at 4 years old, she weighs a whole lot more! … Other things, such as a simple common cold, or a bout with the flu or the dastardly “shingles,” will set an elderly person back more than it would a young person. But one needs to not get discouraged, keep the lungs moving through it all, pick it up, and get back at it … The elderly obviously don’t have the potential reflexes, balance, or strength of a young person. However, CrossFit workouts do improve every one of those functions. I feel strong and, if I concentrate, can even achieve a little straighter posture. My bone density reads “Normal Young” now, and, in a world where few people notice an old lady, I enjoy the genuine acceptance, youthful camaraderie, encouragement, celebration, and love that permeate the CrossFit world.”

Chris Walls is a Personal Trainer at the Crossfit Kelowna training centre.  For more information on Crossfit, please visit http://www.crossfitkelowna.com