Better Late Than Never
By vishwa on Inspiration
May 14, 2009
The lady in the video is Sister Madonna Buder. I had posted the same video earlier in my blog. Since my old blog entries don’t exist any longer, I thought I would restore some of the inspiring stories. This story is one of a kind. Did you think reaching 50 years of age is old enough to retire from physical activity? Perhaps, we all think likewise. The perception of retiring will completely change after you watch this video. I have already mentioned the use/disuse principle from the seven grand daddy laws in two of my blog entries: Wim Van Weenen – A 77 year Old Powerlifter and Golden Oldies and Concentration curl, Hammer Curl, Preacher Curl, Incline Curl, and What Not. As mentioned in my earlier blog entries, when we age we tend to be sedentary as we think that exercise for older population should be completely ruled out. On the other hand, research states that athletic abilities of human beings decline marginally at the age of 50.
In 1490, Juan Ponce de Leon, who was a Spanish explorer set out to find the fountain of youth. Fountain of youth is a legendary spring that restores the youth of anyone who drinks water from the spring. Though the Spanish explorer didn’t find it, it is now found that the only tool which prolongs life and delays aging is exercise. Doctor Gabe Mirkin is a practicing physician for more than 40 years and is one of a very few doctors who specializes in four specialties: Sports medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology. He states that there is no data whatever to show that antioxidants, vitamins, or anything else prolongs life. All tests that are used to measure aging really measures physical fitness. A fit 70 year old will score younger on aging tests than an out-of-shape 20 year old. In addition, a study from Israel shows that older people who exercised regularly at age 70, when followed seven years later, were far healthier, more independent and had a better quality of life than people who didn’t exercise at age 70. The exercisers had far less incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic back pain, loneliness, and physical disability.
Furthermore, as we age we lose muscle and our immunities weaken. The weakened immunity leads to infectious diseases and cancer causing death. Also, as we age we lose our ability to kill germs because of lack of muscle. When germs enter our body, our bodies must produce white blood cells and proteins called antibodies to kill germs, as germs causes infectious diseases in the body. Antibodies and cells are made from protein and the only place where we can store extra protein is muscle. When we carry more muscles, we have ready source of protein to make antibodies and cells. Antibodies are also required to control cancer cells. Each day, every healthy body produces millions of cancers cells; similarly, antibodies and while blood cells are needed to kill these cancer cells. We develop cancer when these cancer cells survive and start growing. Carrying more muscles helps again to produce antibodies to kill cancer cells. Henceforth, being physically active for the elderly is of out most importance.
Coming back to the video, the woman in the video didn’t start exercising until she was 50 years old. What is more inspiring is that she bikes for 112 miles, swims 2.4 miles, and runs 26.2 miles all in a single day. Sister Madonna Buder at age 77 continues to set records in the Ironman competition. It is a true test of grit and endurance and many think that it is physically impossible to accomplish these feats. Watch the video, Sister Buder will truly inspire you.