Rule 347: Use it or lose it. This rule applies to all parts of the body.

Is there such a thing as "too late to start"?

This rule comes from Dr. Clifton Meador’s A Little Book of Doctors’ Rules, a book I received early in med school. What follows is a deep dive into Dr. Meador’s 347th rule: Use it or lose it. This rule applies to all parts of the body.

If you like this post and want to support me - click the little heart (either at the bottom or top of this article), leave a comment, share this article with others, and/or subscribe FOR FREE if you have yet to subscribe!

_______

Is “too late to start” a myth?

Rudy Kadlub turned 73 years old recently and squatted 450 pounds. Click the pic for the video.

rudykadlub

A post shared by Rudy Kadlub (@rudykadlub)

Going above and beyond to show age is just a number…how INSPIRING is that?? Amazing…

When you hear the phrase “use it or lose it,” you automatically think of function, as in “use your body as it’s designed to move…or lose it.” So if you don’t move, you lose the ability to move. And since exercise is the best way to learn how to move, those who have spent nearly a lifetime as non-exercisers may think “it’s too late for me” or “I’m too old to start now.” This essay is going to look at that statement and ask the simple question…is there such a thing as being too late to start?

The statement itself (“It’s too late to start” or “I’m too old”) assumes a required outcome. You might look at Mr. Kadlub and say, “Well, I’ll never lift 450 pounds, so why should I start exercising?” Or you might look at anyone who is “x” years old and already doing “y,” so what’s the point for me to start and try now?

Well, you may be surprised to learn that Mr. Kadlub started powerlifting when he was 55 years old! He’s living proof that it’s never too late to start.

Comparing yourself to others can be disheartening… You may feel that you’ve been left behind… You may want to exercise but are unsure of what to do… You may use the word “someday” a lot… But the point of exercising isn’t a specific weight to lift or distance to run - the outcome isn’t the point. The point is the exercise itself because of what it offers - freedom.

Freedom from Dependency

There was a recent article in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation that chronicled a new test for older adults to predict physical independence when they reach 90 years of age. The experiment took many subjects, ages 65-89, tested them, and correlated those test values with their “projected physical independence,” as defined by a questionnaire. The article put forth the idea of muscle power being the best predictor of physical independence at 90+ years of age. They found that the more power you could generate at a specific age (i.e. 65-69, 70-74, etc.), the more likely you were to be physically independent at 90 years of age or older.

How did they measure muscle power?

They used a fancy equation and a less-than-fancy test called the “sit-to-stand.” The test is similar to a squat; the same movement Rudy Kadlub did (just with a lot more weight). Here’s the test -

• Pick a chair

• Sit down on the chair and cross your arms to your shoulders. Your back does NOT touch the back of the chair

• In 30 seconds, stand up and sit back down on the chair as many times as you can, while keeping your arms crossed.

• Plug the number of repetitions completed into the equation to garner a value for power produced.

How many reps do you think you could do at 73 years old?

How much power could you generate?

How much power do you think Rudy Kadlub can generate?

One thing is for certain: “now” beats “someday” any day of the week. You can make the decision to start exercising today for a better tomorrow. “Too late” is only true if you believe it to be.

Change your view to change your life

What someone might overlook, when grappling with “use it or lose it,” is that it applies to both your body and mind. If you fail to think, reflect, introspect, or plan, then you will eventually lose the ability to do so.

Ok, dig into that more, please…

Sure. Let’s look at it this way. A common reason for someone not exercising is that it doesn’t feel good. Exercise is hard. You get all sweaty and out-of-breath; plus you smell. For many people, it’s not fun in the moment, so they make the decision not to. They may say, “my time is limited, why would I spend it doing something I despise?"

The answer to that is simple: their timeframe is off-kilter. This person is making a decision in the present, for the present. Whereas the decision to exercise is made in the present, for the future. Much like investing.

Let’s look at two people: Tim and Jim. Tim takes a percentage of his income and invests it. Jim takes a different approach, he takes the same amount of money and puts it towards a new car, a new phone, a Ron Popeil rotisserie oven - whatever, you get the idea.

In 20 years, who will be better off? In 30 years? The answer is obvious. Tim will be in a better position than Jim.

The same is true for exercise.

You must change your timeframe when thinking about the benefits of exercise. When was the last time you interviewed yourself, a la “where do you see yourself in 5 years”? Ten years? These are the questions you must answer when discussing the merits of exercising now.

Photo by Marco Pregnolato on Unsplash. Focus on the present to reach the peak in the future.

“Too late to start” is a lie

Don’t gaslight yourself into thinking a future full of free movement and function is out of reach. It’s more than possible, but you must prepare for it now. Challenge and invest in yourself: make the mindset change to make the physical change.

Let me hit this home with an analogy…

Say life is like climbing a mountain. You don’t focus on the mountain peak, you focus on taking a step each time. When climbing, and when living, bring your focus to the things under your control - your thoughts and actions in the present - to prepare yourself for your future.

_______

Check out more from Rudy on his Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/rudykadlub/

And more from Kabuki strength, of which he is the CEO and co-founder - https://store.kabukistrength.net/

AJPMR Journal Citation -

Hetherington-Rauth, Megan PhD; Magalhães, João P. PhD; Alcazar, Julian PhD; Rosa, Gil B. MSc; Correia, Inês R. MSc; Ara, Ignacio PhD; Sardinha, Luís B. PhD. Relative Sit-to-Stand Muscle Power Predicts an Older Adult’s Physical Independence at Age of 90 Yrs Beyond That of Relative Handgrip Strength, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Time: A Cross-sectional Analysis. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: November 2022 - Volume 101 - Issue 11 - p 995-1000

doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001945

_______

Thank you for reading Building Docs! If you enjoyed reading this - consider sharing it with friends and family who have yet to subscribe!

Special thanks to Dr. Meador and his fantastic book. See you next time…