It’s Never Too Late to Get Fit

It’s Never Too Late to Get Fit

By Mark Nemish

When we imagine what it means to be fit, images of a young, lean, athletic person automatically comes to mind. And while youthful exuberance may tend to be associated with images of fitness, the level of cardiovascular fitness can have life-changing implications for many of us in our middle-aged years and into retirement.

After spending the last three plus decades managing the health and performance of elite athletes, my experience has always been matched by my love for the science of health and fitness. And what the science of cardiovascular fitness in our 40s to 60s tells us is rather profound.

A 2018 study by Kyle Mandsager and his colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic revealed the importance of having good cardiovascular fitness for those in their mid-50s. From 1991-2014, data was collected on patients who attended the clinic. Each patient underwent a cardiovascular exercise test on a treadmill as part of their stress testing to determine their fitness level—Metabolic Equivalents (METS). The data for the 120,000-plus patients was stratified by age and sex and five levels of fitness were identified: low, below average, average, high, and elite.

At the same time, data on co-morbidities also was collected, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes (T2D), hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, and end stage renal disease. The patients (average age 53.4) were followed for an average of 8.4 years to determine the rate of all-cause mortality in relation to fitness level and their co-morbidities.

The results were astonishing. When comparing the highest level of fitness with the lowest, subjects in the lowest category of fitness were four times more likely to die during the follow-up period.

The greater the fitness level, the greater the survival advantage. In fact, fitness level was more important than having any of the co-morbidities that were tracked, even end stage renal failure. This data was even more compelling for those in advanced years of life.

The Mandsager study underscores the need to attain increased levels of fitness and maintain those levels as long as possible, even well into your later years. This and other studies also tend to associate higher levels of fitness with generally a healthier lifestyle involving diet, sleep, and reduced stress.

In a society where the “magic pill” to enhance health is sought by many, that remedy appears to be exercise related. Everyone cannot attain elite levels of ageadjusted fitness, but anyone can improve their current fitness level.

It first begins with a mindset of commitment and a desire to achieve. And it’s never too late to start. While it’s not easy for many to kickstart that journey to improving their fitness, it’s definitely something within your grasp and easily modifiable with proper direction and effort.

In the next issue, I’ll discuss a variety of ways to assess your fitness and provide several proven methods to improve your current level of cardio-respiratory fitness and more specifically your Aerobic Threshold through continuous aerobic training and a variety of high intensity interval training (HIIT) methods.

Mark Nemish is the owner and director of Precision Health Performance in Round Hill. He’s spent 30 years managing the health of athletes, including 22 years as head strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Capitals (2007-23) and Nashville Predators (1998-04) in the NHL.