Ricky Banks is a walking advertisement for fitness over 50 – which makes sense since he owns two gyms in his late 50s.
But it became more important than ever after a near-fatal medical emergency a couple of years ago. Doctors and Ricky believe his healthy lifestyle helped him survive the loss of blood, the surgery, and the medically induced coma of his ordeal.
“The doctor said my health level and fitness level had much to do with my survival and recovery – my heart rate, my blood pressure, and not being obese,” Ricky recalls.
Anyone over 50 should take this as another reason to stay healthy by exercising and eating right.
Being fit improves your chances of surviving common health scares and complications. If you want to bounce back from surgery, your chances go up exponentially if you stay at a healthy weight, keep your blood pressure where it should be, eat right, and exercise.
A Simple Way of Putting It
You don’t have to be as muscular as Ricky for these benefits to help you before, during, and after surgery or other medical challenge. The same is true for more common over-50 procedures like joint replacements.
“Better fitness levels reduce complications when having an operation,” says the National Health Service of Scotland. “This is because your body can cope better with the stress of the operation. This improves your chances of avoiding complications, allowing you to leave the hospital and return to your normal quality of life more quickly.
“Keeping an active lifestyle is good for your general health, and if you are normally an active person, it is important to keep that up before your operation. People with low activity levels can improve their fitness within as little as four weeks by regular exercise.”
A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that mature adults who exercise regularly are less likely to suffer a disability and more likely to recover faster.
The National Institutes for Health concludes that exercise before and after surgery is essential for ensuring its success in older people.
Ricky’s amazing story
Ricky woke up distressed at about 2 a.m., passed blood in his urine, and was rushed to a hospital, passing out before he arrived.
His old problem of bleeding ulcers had returned with a vengeance. Doctors used more than two dozen pints of blood and put him into a coma to find the source of the bleeding and stop it.
They gave Ricky a 50- 50 chance of surviving. But because of his heart health, his weight, and his fitness level, he pulled through.
“People say, ‘Ricky, you look like you haven’t been through anything,’” he says. “This has made me appreciate my body and how I take care of it. I tell people, ‘I understand, you’ve got to live your life. But be responsible.’”
If you’re ready to create a personalized plan that’s meaningful enough to stick to… especially when the going gets tough, we’re here to help.
In our 21-Day Longevity and Strength Program, we’ll work together to ensure you’re not just “going through the motions” to hit your goals but living a life that aligns with your values.
Sign up here: https://go.ypbtrainingstudio.com/21-day-longevity-and-strength-program.
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