I'm getting too old for this...

Dorothy summed it up nicely.

The ninety three year old told me: “When I wake up in the morning, I’m as stiff as a door and about as flat as one". She went on "But it’s just too easy to roll over and lay there. You’ve got to get up and get moving!”
 
Dorothy knew a thing or two about making delicious zucchini relish. And she also knew the secret to maintaining function. Keep going, to the best of your ability and be consistent.
 
Now, have no illusion about it:
 
1) Muscle mass, strength and power start to decline in your thirties.
2) The structure of our tendons, change as we age.
3) As we age, our joints become stiffer and our cartilage between our joints becomes less thick.
4) Bone density decreases as we age.
 
But whatever your age. Whether you are 21, or born in 1921:
 
1)    You can increase muscle strength and power with resistance training.
2)    Tendon health can be improved with stretching, gradually increasing the load with exercise and sufficient rest periods between bouts of exercise.
3)    Joint stiffness can be improved with low impact exercise and stretching.
4)    You can improve your bone density with weightbearing exercise.

Now, this is a simplified message. Remember, tendon, muscle, joint and bone health are influenced by many factors. However, i think that Dorothy's message has great relevance to many of us: keep moving- forward and well.