Chuck Norris Beat Aging and so Can You!

Chuck gives us all hope.

I don’t know about you, but I get a bit nervous about aging.

Sometimes I see certain geriatric folks and say, “Uh gosh, wrinkled skin, weird growths, slow reflexes, and diminishing wit. What will make me happy? What will I get joy out of? Say hello to a 70-80 year old worn out Cade.”

It makes me feel like living that long would not be worth it. Then I start thinking about dying earlier, then I get even more morbidly depressed, and finally I think…I need donuts.

See where I am going here? Aging sucks!

Do you get these feelings? I think it is pretty normal. I am also sure if some of you are 60 to 80 you are probably saying the same thing about 90.

So knowing that we can’t avoid it until we get that Fountain of Youth medicine at Walgreens, is there a way to “age gracefully”? Dare I dream bigger and ask if I can be that old attractive person that seems to defy the laws of physics and beats out all of those young hooligans in a bike ride?

Maybe you are already there, wedged into your 60’s or 70’s (or later) and reading this. You may feel even more helpless after decades of poor eating and a sedentary lifestyle.

Well stop.

Yes there is hope. We should all have hope. In the words of the poetic band Journey, “Don’t stop believing.”

The reason why I suggest you have hope is because there is precedence. If you need an example: I give you Chuck Norris. Chuck doesn’t age. Every birthday, it’s just another year added to his existence. Though you may not be as cool as Chuck, we are going to talk about some things you can to in order to make aging as awesome as a Chuck Norris roundhouse.

Aging Is Rough

According to Dr. William Evans of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, the average American loses 6.6 pounds of lean body mass every decade after the age of 20. That starts to grow exponentially after 45 if you don’t maintain a healthy lifestyle, which consists of those things I mentioned above.

Why does this happen? Well a lot of the growth hormones that worked so well for many years start slowing down. This is why you see athletes trying to maintain youth by using human growth hormone. It is a natural part of life (unless you are Chuck Norris). So what can we do about it?

Containing Aging

The good news is that not only can this aging process be stopped, but it can be reversed with proper nutrition, proper sleep, cardio and most importantly resistance training.

Maybe people go to these movies because it gives them hope as they age.

Even well-known organizations like the ACSM is recommending that weight training should be done at all ages to help maintain health.
Basically the same rules apply as you age, as when you are younger. If you want to contain aging or age with some awesome style, here are some Chuck Norris approved steps you can take:

• lean, unprocessed, grass-fed animal protein
• variety of vegetables
• fat (some examples include avocado, macadamia nuts, oils like coconut, palm, olive, and sunflower, coconut milk, and animal fat)
• Avoid grains, dairy, legumes and sugar (they highly impact hardening of arteries and the aging of your skin)
• 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep in a cool, dark room
• a variety of cardio 20-30 minutes for 2-3 days a week
• and yes believe it or not…weight training also for 20-30 minutes for 2-3 days a week.

The key is still maintaining a high percentage of lean mass as you grow older.  These actions above will help you do that.

In a study of weightlifting’s benefits, involving frail elderly participants, several professors from Tufts University found that nursing home residents with an average age of 87 tripled their muscle strength after 10 weeks of weight lifting and stair climbing. They also increased the size of their muscles by about 10 percent. Some even regained the ability to walk without canes and to perform other tasks without assistance. Take that death!

Everyone needs to do resistance training no matter how old you are. It is never too late to get started. Don’t buy into that crap that you are “too old to workout”.

That is like saying Chuck Norris is weak. Not cool…not true.

I mentioned there was precedence. While Chuck is all you need, there are other resources you can use as well. There are living examples like these folks:

• Mark Sisson: born 1954
• Joel Friel: born 1950’s (not sure, but the guy is in his 60’s)
• Art DeVany: born 1937
• Tony Horton: born 1958
• And if 91-year-old track star Olga Kotelko doesn’t inspire you, then I don’t know what will.

“Thank You Chuck Norris”

Olga shows anything is possible no matter the age.

So the reality check is that everyone gets older and will face the challenges that come with physical aging such as disease, gray hair, wrinkles, and the list goes on. It is just going to happen.

With that said, you can still be in amazing shape at any age. You can impress people and look 20-30 years younger. That should be your motto for your whole life.  Success can come at any age like Harry Bernstein.

I believe it is not whether you are in better shape today compared to when you were 22. Instead I think you should be asking yourself if you spent today pointing your health in the right direction.

You were always meant to be healthy; even as you age your genes are just begging you to take care of yourself. And if you do, pretty soon people will see you and say, “I hope I look that way when I am their age.”

And who knows, maybe Death will be too scared to tell you that you are dead…just like Chuck Norris.

About Cade

Cade is the founder of Know My Body. Sorry...no doctor degree, fancy gym, multi-million dollar fitness program, or label as a self-proclaimed health guru of biblical proportions. He is a common guy just like you. Maybe that helps him get you a bit better.

He has worked the past several years trying to get a grasp of "health knowledgeries" from the perspective of a person working a 9 to 5 job and dealing with the normal and not-so-normal challenges that life gives. Visit our About Page to chew on some more knowledge about Cade and how we want to help you at Know My Body.