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60'S The new middle age
By Andrew Stuart
I know on this website we use the term Age is just a number a'lot and could possibly be a term that some of our readers say we overuse, I in all honestly do not agree.
So what is Age in 2015 and how do People Perceive it? I remember not so long ago when I was a child I used to look at people and think if you wore old style clothes or had Perms in you're hair you were old, Unless you are generally over 80 and may still rock that style it's getting harder to harder to tell what old actually is. And I guarantee the people I thought were old back then in relation to today would be actually far from old, More People over 65 are not only staying up to date with the latest Fashion and Hair styles but are continuing to play sport for longer, working longer and enjoying the company of making more friends.
Well here come's some more good news Researchers and scientists are now saying that 60 really is the new middle Age and that we really don't start middle age until about 50 and finish in your early 70's.
One such study Led by led by Professor Warren Sanderson, of Stony Brook University in New York, notes that if old age is fixed at a certain point, the proportion of old people will rise because of increasing life expectancy.
If the threshold for being old is moved to take into account longer lives, the proportion of old people actually falls over time so that being old at 70, 20 years ago would actually mean it's younger now. The study says that, with people living longer, healthier lives, age should not just be a number we reach but a reflection of the life we lead.
People are also working longer and later in life which strangely enough has it's own health benefits both mentally and physically. In one study It suggests retirement increases the likelihood of suffering from clinical depression by 40 per cent and the chance of having at least one diagnosed physical condition by about 60 per cent. It also found that those who were still working over 70 had increased mental alertness. Employers also found that having older workers lead to increase in productivity and a decrease in downtime due to mistakes.
Graham from Melbourne, Victoria who co-owns a metal fabrication company in Hallam said "it's hard to find guys under the age of 40 that have that really good work ethic, you do get them but it can be a rarity. We have 4 guys over 67 and 1 over 70 that put most of the younger guys to shame. It's all about giving them a chance because it's nowadays 67 is quite young and knowing they have the experience and just believing in there Ability is easy. They are great to have around the younger guy's too. The boy's love them and the experience they get from them is 2nd to none, Even myself at 55 am learning something from them most weeks."
The work place is not only the place where people are going for longer than they once did but also the sports field where 20-30 years ago it would have been an oddity to see a and Professional Athlete over the age of 40 in there chosen sport, now it's rare if you don't atleast a few in each sport or competition you see, not only holding there own but sometimes excelling. Now we are actually getting to a point in 2015 where we are seeing Professional Athlete's over the age of 50 not only competing but still excelling in there chosen field. Now you may ask me who? Name these Athletes? Alright just for you I will.
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50 Year old Bernard Hopkins only just lost WBA Super and IBF titles in November last year to Sergey Kovalev, but do not be surprised if he get's them back. After all he won the won the world title's from Beibut Shumenov aged 48 and 49 respectively. Hopkins is in Better shape than he was 20 years ago and contributes that to a positive mindset and taking care of himself. Hopkins next fight will be in September this year so watch out for this champion boxer.
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55 Year old Herschal Walker is a freak, Ex NFL player and Current Professional MMA Fighter Walker sit's at
2-0 and in unbelievable shape and not just unbelievable shape for a 53 year old, Unbelievable shape for any age. Walker's 1500 Push up's and 3000 Sit up's a day may help the fact he has looked the same since 1982. Walker only stated recently that he still run's a 40 yard faster than most current NFL players and would love to comeback and Prove to everyone how good he still is. Herschel is looking to have his next fight later 2015.
59 Year old Jeannie Longo and Current Professional Cyclist is one inspiring Professional Athlete. Longo won the French National at age 52 in 2010 and since then has not only held her own but been at the front of the pack and pushed every other professional cylclist for the last 6 years.
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57 year old Merlene Ottey Jamaican/Slovenian Professional track Athlete. Ottey has had the longest
careeras a top level international sprinter, which apparently has not yet concluded as she anchored
the Slovene 4x100 Relay at the 2012 European Athletics Championships at the 2012 European
Athletics championships at age 52. Don't be surprised to see her at the next Olympics in 2016.
61 Year old Ned Overend Professional Mountain bike rider is not only a freak but more proof that as we evolve so does our age mindset. Overend may compete in Masters competions sometimes, Sponsored by Specialed he still competes in open professional races and not only holds his own but actually winning races. Overend's most recent victory was winning the the US Fat Bike Championship in February earlier this year. Overend won over Professional mountain bike riding champion Brad Bingham who was 22 year's his junior. Do not be surprised to see this guy smashing Men in there 20's and 30's for years to come.
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Here is a quick list of even more people that you can look up yourself that have competed as a Professional Athlete over the age of 50,
Skip Hall (MMA, 64) Robert Jaworski (Basketball, 52) Nancy Lieberman (50, Basketball) Albert Beckles (Bodybuilding, 61) Saoul Mamby (Boxing, 60) Garry Player (PGA Golf, 78) Geordie Howe ( NHL, 52), Satchel Paige (MLB, 59) Juilo Franco (MLB, 50) Buddy Helms (NASCAR, 87) John Williams (MMA. 70, One Pro-Fight) Herb Johnson (Basketball, 50)
What you have to remember is that the people above are or were professional Athletes, Athletes that are in the top percentile for there sport or competition and generally get paid to do so, these people don't blame there genes for there ability to continue at the top level, most of them will tell you it's a mindset to know that just because your age reaches a certain number doesn't mean there bodies have, so for all you Elite Athletes out there that think that bad game or season was due to you getting older, maybe it was just a bad game or bad season the same as what happened when you started playing, so Before you give up you may just have a few more in you yet.
Information I sourced from cyclingtips.com.au with a great Article by Matt De Neef stated
in a recent study on Athletes over 40 show the reality is that only minimal physiological declines occur before the age of 50, particularly when we’re talking about an athlete’s musculature. Any declines in athletic potential and performance that happen until that point are largely due to a drop in the athlete’s VO2max which is Mainly due to our unfortunately to our reduction in activity.
As a quick reminder, VO2max is the maximum capacity of an athlete’s body to transport and use oxygen during exercise, a quantity that’s normally measured in milliliters of oxygen per minute per kilogram of body mass. An average untrained male will have a VO2max of around 45ml/min/kg while the best Athlete on record have roughly double that.
Our VO2max is determined by a couple things:
– cardiac output, which is a function of how much blood your heart can pump per beat, and how many beats per minute your heart is capable of (maximum heartrate), and
– how much oxygen our muscles are able to extract from our blood and then use.
What probably stops a lot of guys from Professional Athletes from competing until their in there 40's and 50's is not physical, but mental. Fifteen years of training five hours a day, six days a week, counting every calorie you eat, and being on the track, field or court all the time has its toll on people, but physically there is nothing stopping an athlete still excelling at that age if they wish to do so.
But to answer the question of “how long could an Athlete go on for?”, it’s perhaps worth looking to . In this 2012 study, the author put five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain through his paces to see how ageing had affected his cycling performance in the 14 years since he retired from international racing
The 46-year-old’s maximum heartrate was still 191bpm (around 17bpm higher than you might expect for someone his age, imagine how high if he was still training) and he was still able to put out an impressive amount of power. To quote the author of the study: “Indurain’s absolute maximal and submaximal oxygen uptake and power output still compare favorably with those exhibited by active professional cyclists.” WOW!
Could Indurain still be competitive at an elite level if he had the motivation to do so? Well, he’d probably need to lose the 12kg he’s put on since he retired, he’d need to significantly increase his training, and it’s highly unlikely we’d see him winning the Tour de France again, but there’s no reason to suspect that he couldn't still be mixing it up in the bunch and that's after a 14 year lay off say's Matt de Neef Cyclingtips.com.au editor.
Another recent study of 40 competitive runners, cyclists, and swimmers, ranging in age from 40 to 81, found no evidence of deterioration -- the athletes in their 70s and 80s had almost as much thigh muscle mass as the fit athletes in their 40s.
And that can be changed.
Dr. Vonda Wright, who oversaw the study, said:"We think these are very encouraging results…
"The changes that we've assumed were due to aging and therefore were unstoppable seem actually to be caused by inactivity"
All while some athletes not actual peaking until they are 35-45 with some Athletes stating that was there best years depending on the activity they were doing. World Triathlon champion and current number World half triathlon champion Craig Alexander 42 says didn't have his best year until he was around 39.
All this doesn't account for the amount of amazing Amateur Athletes out there that are still dominating people half there age. Not long ago professional Athletes would generally finish there careers in there 30's and while not all but I would say the majority would continue to play a sport or activity well into there 50's possibly early 60's, But because we are seeing an increase in the amount a professional athletes knowing they can go longer its quite possible that the amateur athlete realizes with a healthy lifestyle and positive mindset they know they can continue doing what they love well as long as there bodies allow. Below are a list of people that could smash you while proving that 60 really is the new middle age.
Not many 77-year olds crank out Crossfit WODs and have one named after them, but Jacinto Bonilla does. The “Jacinto Storm,” a WOD created on Bonilla’s 69th birthday, consists of 69 squats, 69 wall balls, 69 pull-ups, 69 push-ups, 69 kettlebell swings, and 69 deadlifts (using 95 pounds). The catch? Another rep of each exercise is added every year, meaning it’s due to increase to 76 reps this July.
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Fast wheels are timeless, and so is my Grampy,” writes Alison Tetrick, a 32-year-old
professional cyclist on the US National team. Her grampy is none other than 85 year
old Paul Tetrick, who has won 12 USA Cycling Time Trial Championships, a road bicycle
race where cyclists battle the clock instead of racing at the same time as their
competitors. In October 2013, Both Tetricks had the opportunity to ride against each
another in the Paula Higgins Memorial Record Challenge Time Trial. Paul confessed to
Zipp News that he was afraid his granddaughter, who started 10 minutes behind him,
might catch up to him. Though Alison won gold in the 40K event, she didn’t catch her
speedy grandfather, who crushed his amazing previous time trial record of 34:37.5 in
the 20K race.
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“Riding and jumping with a wake board, being propelled only by the wind gives an unimaginable rush,” writes 76 year old Lou Self on his blog, Arizona Lou Kiteboarder. Kiteboarding, a sport that combines aspects of surfing, wakeboarding and windsurfing, is increasing in popularity and is set to replace windsurfing in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. But its not every day you see a 70-something embracing — and conquering — this extreme sport. “It’s hard for me to resist a challenge,” he says, A science teacher, Self has been kite boarding since he turned 58 and can jump over 20-feet off the water.
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If you’re looking for evidence of yoga’s physical and mental benifits, take a look at 97 year old Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world’s oldest yoga teacher who’s still overflowing with youthful exuberance. She started practicing over 70 years ago while growing up in India and, before that, was an actress, screenplay and documentary writer. Her personal mantra: “There is nothing you cannot do.” And from the looks of it, she’s practicing what she preaches. She founded the Westchester Institute of Yoga in 1982, collaborated with renowned yogi, Tara Stiles, on a yoga DVDand still manages to hold workshops across the country.
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Ever run five consecutive marathons or 135 miles, uphill in 130-degree weather? 74 year old Arthur Webb completed the infamous Badwater Ultramarathon, the toughest footrace in the world,15 times since he turned 58. He’s finished the grueling course — which winds through scorching Death Valley and scales two mountain ranges — 20 hours faster than anyone else over the age of 65. two years ago, Ultra-marathon magazine named him runner of the year in his age group for this incredible feat. What’s the secret to preparing for the insanely lengthy distance and unforgiving heat? He says he trained by spending time each day in a 170-degree sauna, and put in 100-mile weeks pounding the pavement. “I have always been a mega-mileage freak,” admits Webb, who says his daily two-hour morning “endorphin-filled training runs” in California are his favorite part of ultrarunning. For next year, he’s striving to run 100 miles in under 22 hours so he’ll break the record for 70-75 year old Americans.
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In May 2013 at age 80, this Japanese alpinist became the oldest person to summit the world’s
highest mountain. Scaling Mount Everest — which is approximately five and a half miles above
sea level — is no small feat for an athlete of any age (4,000 people have attempted but only
660 have succeeded). Miura has reached the summit three times in his lifetime — all when he
was over the age of 70! And there were more challenges than just insane elevation this time
around — Miura had four heart surgeries before his third ascent, making his latest
accomplishment that much more awe-inspiring but is back now fitter than ever.
85 year old Jim Arrington. He's a competitive bodybuilder. He eats an omnivorous diet. He trains hard and is a completely drug free bodybuilder.
Jim is an inspiration to anyone who wants to stay fit.
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The inspirational list of people above are only a small percentile of those who continue to improve themselves but continue to do what they love after the age of 70 proving that Professor Warren Sanderson's study continues to be correct, 60 really is the new middle age.
With the Average life expectancy set to reach around 90 by 2030 we need to get more people to change there mindset on aging, Getting older with a positive and healthy attitude and lifestyle is a whole lot better than being kept alive by modern medication and living in a nursing home. The facts are being 80 in 2015 shouldn't be waiting around waiting to take your next pill for possibly the next 20 years or maybe longer, it should be enjoyed still doing the thing's you love and if we can change everyone's mindset on what age really is we may see less stress on the public health system. Now no matter how healthy, fit or positive we are, people will still eventually age, some will still get sick and unfortunately become seriously ill which can not ever be helped and nothing can stop it if that is meant to happen. But what is does do is greatly reduce the risk of this happening, Long and short term illness will greatly reduce, A person's independence will increase which will allow people to live at home longer, the benefit's of us just changing our mindset towards aging is huge and cannot be underestimated. People in there 80's should be enjoying there life by either Holidaying, Playing with grandchildren and great grand children while doing the thing's they have always loved and not living what could be now up to 20 years in a nursing home. Now there are plenty of people in there 80's and 90's and even 100 that are still independent and enjoying life as seen in the list above, what I am trying to say is that there are far to many that if we had of given them the right information 10 or 20 years ago there would be far more that are still living at home and not in a nursing home or hospital. But thing's are starting to change, far more people in there 80's and 90's are far more active and enjoying life than what there were even up to 10 years ago.
Studies show that people who exercise over their lifetimes can avoid being disabled at the end of their lives and it is never too late too start.
Alan Walker, professor of social policy and social gerontology at the University of Sheffield in England, agreed that old age now begins much later than traditional assessments, but said there was a huge disparity in how long people could expect to live for.
“Our conceptions of 'old age' are hopelessly out of date because of population ageing,” he said.
“For many people, 70 is the new 50 and signifies the quiet revolution that has taken place in longevity.
So maybe after reading this you may realize old isn't old anymore, or for many of you when you are on the field or court and get dominated by a 60 year old man don't be surprised because 60 is actually quite young and maybe just before you think about retiring just yet (Even at a high level) you probably do have quite a few years left in you yet.
Because 60 is the new middle age.
