Life & Breath
Life & Breath is Preventative Medicine. Exercising the body from the inside out. Delaying and , in many cases, reversing the ageing process.
1. Age group 25 -35
By 25 years old, the actual outward signs of ageing begin. Bone mass peaks by 30 and then begins to decrease. Muscle mass begins to decrease yearly, particularly with more sedentary lifestyles. Capacity for physical work declines. There is a loss of full range of motion with the shortening of muscle and connective tissue while aerobic capacity diminishes after age 32. The heart begins to lose strength and efficiency as blood pressure rises. The body generally metabolizes 12 fewer calories per day for each year after the age of 30. Stamina peaks at about age 30 to 32 then becomes less each year. Higher stress levels occur because of lifestyles and occupations. More alcohol is consumed and stress related eating disorders become prevalent. Sleep patterns change with less time spent in deep sleep, so recovery from stress is compromised. Breathing may slowly transition from nose breathing to a combination of nose and mouth breathing, beginning a gradual decline in the breathing mechanism – diaphragm and lungs.
2. Age group 35 – 44
By now there has been about 6 pounds of muscle mass loss, and by age 40 bone density has begun to decrease at about .5 to 1 percent per year (eventually leading to osteoporosis, and the likelihood of bones breaking from falls). General flexibility decreases. Capacity for physical work declines as the body begins to accumulate fat. Bodyweight increases. The breathing muscles - diaphragm, intercostal muscles (that raise the rib cage during intake of breath) – begin to lose strength and tone, causing less efficient respiration. Rate of breathing per minute increases from 8 to 10 breaths per minute to 12 to 18 breaths, causing decreased oxygenation in the cells and a decreased ability to deal with both physical and mental stress. Sleep patterns deteriorate with more nocturnal awakenings, impeding recovery from stress or physical trauma. Breathing entails more mouth, as opposed to nose, breathing. Including breathing through the mouth while asleep causing snoring and broken sleep.
3. Age group 45 – 54
51 is the average age for menopause in woman, and the first notable signs of the enlargement of the prostate in men, leading to frequent urination caused by the enlarged prostate pushing against the urethra and blocking the flow of urine from the bladder. There is decreased lung capacity due to a stiffening (from lack of exercise) of the muscles (intercostal) affecting the ribcage and loss of tone and use of the diaphragm. This degradation of the breathing mechanism causes more air to be left in the lungs – 70 percent of our body’s toxins are released during exhalation – meaning the body is permanently in a toxic state; creating an atmosphere of acidity. Cancer develops and thrives in an acidic environment. Without the proper flow and release of carbon dioxide (which dilates the cells enabling them to absorb more oxygen) blood flow is diminished and circulation is inadequate. Bone density deteriorates. The immune system is compromised as blood flow decreases. The lymphatic system, responsible for carrying infection fighting white blood cells and carries dead cells from the body, deteriorates as breathing becomes shallow and mouth (as opposed to nose) oriented. Heart rate and blood pressure rise. Respiratory patterns change; more breaths are required per minute to try and balance the compromised breathing mechanism. Sleep patterns further deteriorate. Oxygen is medicine, and by 45 – 54 the body is generally not getting enough.
4. Age group: 55 – 64
Heart and lung capacities decrease. Bone density decreases. Muscle loss has been about 2 percent per year for at least twenty years causing strength to be significantly diminished. Stamina decreases. There are more episodes of depression. Chronic, recurring, disease is more prevalent. Mouth breathing becomes more common than nose breathing, with breathing rate accelerated to over 18 breaths per minute, placing more strain on the heart and greater risk of heart attack. Lungs shrink from lack of complete use of the breathing mechanism and poor breathing patterns. Less oxygen is reaching the brain, which is losing up to 10,000 cells per day, effecting memory, coordination and general brain function. Constipation is more likely because the digestive juices are no longer flowing properly – partly due to the lack of stimulation and massage from the main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. Stress related diseases – autoimmune – increase. Appearance of skin deteriorates with lack of blood flow and circulation. Most women have experienced menopause. Men have significant testosterone decrease and most experience lower sex drive and erectile dysfunction. The body is generally less oxygenated. Sleep apnea is common, meaning pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing, accompanied by bouts of restlessness and insomnia. Recovery from exertion and any form of illness is compromised by lack of proper rest.
5. Age Group: 65 – 74
Officially old age has set in. Bone density is less and muscle mass and strength have diminished enough to effect balance; making falls the main cause of death in older people. All of the symptoms of ageing, including digestive problems, weakened immune system and diminished cognitive function have progressed. Incontinence is more common as the sphincters (circular muscles surrounding the openings in the body) have become lax while bladder capacity has been cut in half between the ages of 30 and 70, while the prostate has enlarged, so frequent urination and lessening control of bowels is common. The lungs have shrunken and many of the millions of alveoli (tiny air sacs in which the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide take place) have become saggy, atrophied and non-functional from improper breathing – oxygen entering through the mouth and filling the upper chest region only. The great breathing muscle, the diaphragm, has lost tone (inadequate exercise) and no longer massages and stimulates the heart, liver and lymphatic system, making the body susceptible to disease. Breathing is basically mouth-based and employs only the upper portion of the lungs, creating sleep problems – apnea, snoring and insomnia - and impeding recovery from physical and psychological stress. Blood pressure rises as the heart becomes less efficient. An array of drugs – statins to lower cholesterol levels, beta-blockers for hypertension or high blood pressure, diuretics for high blood pressure, drugs to treat frequent urination, erectile dysfunction, etc. – are prescribed; each with a side effect.
6. Age 75 - 84
The human body is a machine. It requires use, rest and proper maintenance. It grows weak, unreliable and breaks down when it is not cared for. By 75 – 84 – without Real Strength Training - there has been substantial degeneration of the muscular system (sarcopenia) as the human body loses about seven pounds of muscle every ten years, which means metabolism, the manufacture of energy from food (muscles requires more energy than fat), has significantly slowed. This deterioration accelerates the ageing process. By 75 – 84, strength has decreased by more than 50 percent; everyday movements like standing up from a chair or pulling open a refrigerator door become difficult or impossible. Risk of falling and breaking bones increases dramatically, all culminating in a loss of independence. Obesity, diabetes and heart disease are common. The breathing mechanism – by now centered mainly in the upper thorax with respiration in and out the mouth - is inadequate to sufficiently oxygenate the body and brain. The immune system weakens and the body is susceptible to illness and disease, particularly of the heart and lungs. Average life expectancy is approximately 79 – 82 years.
Depressing, isn’t it?
In fact, I got depressed just writing about these things.
The good news is: it does not need to go this way.
There is a remedy: Life & Breath with Real Strength.
“ People who do strength training at least two days a week are 46% less likely to die from any cause. They are 41% less likely to die from heart disease, and 19% less likely to die from cancer.” That’s not me talking, trying to sell you some unsustainable mail order system of exercise that will ultimately cause more injury than health or an expensive piece of equipment that will end up buried in a closet or hidden beneath your bed, gathering dust… That‘s a quote from the Journal Of Preventative Medicine, and it’s talking about longevity. But what is longevity? For me, longevity is the time we spend living a full healthy life. Participating in the activities that fulfill us. Being with the people we love. It means staying clear of disease. It means playing tennis, throwing a football to your son, or grandson, dancing the tango and making love five times a night… Hold on… That last one may be a little too ambitious… At a basic level, longevity means being self-sufficient. It means being able to get up from a chair, to walk to the mailbox, to lift up a bag of groceries, to push open a door, to drive a car. It means functionality. To do this, the body needs exercise; this means a sustainable method of training that exercises the bones, the muscles and the heart and… above all else, the breathing mechanism. It means retaining strength and vitality.
Biological age is far more important that chronological age. A physically fit 60 year old can have the biological age of a 45 year old, and vice versa. Breathing is the key. Oxygenation of the body is the main ingredient in biological age.
The goal of Life and Breath is: to develop a sustainable practice of exercise that results in fat loss and muscle tone, an optimum but maintainable bodyweight, good bone density, a healthy circulatory system, with normal blood pressure (120/80 or below) and a low resting pulse (70 or below). Real Strength means breathing eight or less times per minute, employing diaphragmatic breathing both awake and asleep.
Life and Breath uses a combination of breath work, resistance training and meditative practices, with the intent of oxygenating the body and brain, maintaining strength and muscle mass while calming the mind. It trains us from the inside, out. All movement is slow and conscious, with a concentration on form. Life and Breath is a moving meditation.
