Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  “Today I will do what others won’t,  so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.” You just read it! When I try to talk myself out of my morning 2-mile walk - or my 30-minute strength training session - this is what drives me at 80-plus years of age .  "If you stop doing the difficult things in life, you lose the ability to do them." -- Tom Lane That's it!   I live in a 3-level home and make excuses to climb the stairs repeatedly during the day - so I don't lose the ability to do so . The first-half of my morning walk is mostly uphill, and I do it to keep my heart working at a viable level . The strength training is obviously to stay strong, but also to keep that ":metabolic reservoir" in the event of a traumatic event - and subsequent recovery.  Author at site of Old Man of the Mountain, Cannon Mt., NH The above photo of me - and the humor - was via my daughter, Lisa, four days ago . At 80.5 years of age - and at 5' 8", 159 lbs . - my best frie...

 We all know how important muscle mass is for older folks. When sarcopenia (muscle loss) occurs in the later years, frailty results - and the loss of strength can severely limit activities that were once routine. But beyond that,  Will Brink of Brinkzone,com has broached the importance of muscle to keep the elderly alive after suffering a traumatic event and subsequent hospitalization ( per Brink ):  “ A loss of muscle mass also has far ranging effects beyond the obvious loss of strength and functionality. Muscle is a metabolic reservoir. In times of emergency it produces the proteins and metabolites required for survival after a traumatic event. In practical terms, frail elderly people with decreased muscle mass often do not survive major surgeries or traumatic accidents, as they lack the metabolic reserves to supply their immune systems and other systems critical for recovery.” Muscle as a "metabolic reservoir" is not a new concept for me. I have experienced signifi...