Ever thought you were too old to exercise or that it was too late for you to start getting in shape? Think again! Read all about how my 70-year-old father is in the best shape of his life and how his secrets can help YOU get there too!
Here it is, right up front: your age is just a number. It's not who you are…it's not your limitation. It's just a number.
How do I know this? I need to look only as far as my father, Alex Nilsson, who turned 70 years of age last December. At this very moment, as you read this, he is roller skiing across Canada, covering more than 50 to 60 miles per day (80 to 100 km)…every day…until he makes it all the way across the entire country!
 like this…do I talk about how incredibly motivating it is to see someone pushing their body to the limit in this fashion (at any age, much less 70)…do I talk about the great cause he's promoting as he crosses the country (Type II Diabetes awareness – Type II Diabetes, through good nutrition and regular exercise, is COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE)…or do I talk about the trek across Canada itself?</p><p> It was a tough choice, so I thought, why not do it all!</p><p>
<BR><center><img decoding=)
2. Raising Awareness for Type II Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people around the world. There are two types of diabetes:
Type I Diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas whereby it doesn't produce enough effective insulin to control blood sugar. Type I Diabetes is not, unfortunately, preventable, though very treatable with insulin.
Type II Diabetes is the focus of my father's journey. Type II Diabetes occurs when the pancreas either can't produce insulin or releases insulin, but the body isn't able to utilize it properly. The onset of Type II Diabetes can be prevented or delayed. Through good nutrition and exercise, one can manage blood sugar levels. Type II Diabetes is on the rise with the increased consumption of sugary foods and inactivity by much of the population (especially in North America).
Diabetes is a serious disease and, as he rolls across Canada, Alex is hoping to increase awareness of Type II Diabetes and how preventable it is! More information on Type II Diabetes is available through the links below:
<http://www.diabetes.ca
<http://www.diabetes.com
At SkiCrossCanada.com and Diabetes.ca, you'll also find information on “Team Diabetes,” which Alex is participating in to help bring in donations for diabetes research. It's an excellent program and I really encourage you to read more about it, especially if you know someone who is diabetic or you're diabetic yourself!
. But, most importantly, I grew up thinking it was perfectly normal to have physically active, healthy parents.</p><p> The most inspiring thing is, as Alex gets older, his personal challenges are actually INCREASING in difficulty (present challenge included). I'm waiting for the day when I find out he's going to unicycle north-south along the entire length of the Rocky Mountains while wearing a 50-lb backpack (don't think it hasn't been mentioned!).</p></div><div class=)
When Alex completes this trek across Canada, he is going to share his experiences with others as a motivational speaker for seniors' health.
4. Training Secrets
Here are some of Alex's easy-to-follow training secrets that can help anyone improve their health and fitness at any age:
– One of the biggest training secrets that has helped Alex continuously improve his fitness is stretching. It's not glamorous but, in addition to actual activity, he spends an equal amount of time stretching to maintain and improve flexibility. Stretching is relaxing and is something that can be done whenever you have spare time in the day.
– Looking for a “power food” that is rich in protein and essential fats? Look no further than sardines. They're inexpensive and one of the best sources of fish oil there is.
– Don't let that little voice in your head talk you out of an activity. Life throws challenges your way but sometimes you need to seek out those challenges or even actually create them for yourself! Even it's just walking a little further or a little faster each day or lifting a little more weight, challenge yourself. When you succeed (not if), your confidence in yourself will grow and you can move up to bigger challenges!
– Even if you're an endurance athlete, train with weights. Strength and muscle mass built with weights will directly improve your endurance performance.
I would also like to ask a little favor of you…one of Alex's major goals with this trek is to raise awareness for Type II Diabetes and how preventable it is.
If you have connections to media outlets (such as TV stations or newspapers), if you have a website you could publish this article on, if you could forward this article to everyone you know, or even if you could just tell people about the website, I would greatly appreciate it. The more people we can get this out to, the more lives we can change for the better!
On the website, there is also a contact form where you can send Alex your best wishes and wish him luck on his journey. I know he would love to hear how fitness has changed your life.
Once again, the site is:
<http://www.skiacrosscanada.com
If you have any questions about Alex or his journey, please don't hesitate to contact me at <betteru@fitstep.com!
Nick Nilsson
Vice-President
BetterU, Inc.
