You can't control your chronological age, but your biological age is another matter
IS YOUR lifestyle giving you wrinkles?
Could it be killing you?
Have you ever wondered why some people age so gracefully, maintaining the health, energy and appearance of a much-younger person? Do you believe aging is genetic, and that you're destined for a potbelly, saddlebags, wrinkles and illness?
If your answer to the last question is yes, then I have good news for you. The aging process is not predestined.
Go ahead, breath a sigh of relief.
Aside from normal wear and tear, how you age is largely determined by - you guessed it - the lifestyle choices you make.
With the assistance of the Polar Body Age fitness assessment program, the Daily News Flab to Fab Fitness Challenge contestants have learned that there's a huge difference between chronological and biological age. Your habits strongly determine that difference.
Take Fab Five participant Sherita Jackson who, at 30, had the body age of a 40-year-old when she started the challenge. At the minimum, your biological age should be the same as your chronological age. Let's take a look at Sherita's amazing progress.
Sherita's fountain of youth
In just 10 weeks, Sherita has shaved seven years off her biological age, improved her eating habits and increased her fitness level. She's lost body fat and has more energy and strength and better muscle tone.
When Sherita began the challenge on Feb. 7, she was in the first percentile (the lowest cardiovascular classification) for women her age. Today she's in the 80th percentile.
Sherita knows first-hand that regular cardiovascular exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, improve circulation. And it makes you look and feel better!
Sherita's strength has improved from an initial score of 50 (below standard) to a whopping 66, which places her in the "good" category.
Her flexibility has improved from 8 to 9.1, though she's still working toward 15.9 (considered a good ranking).
Sherita's down 22 pounds and counting, having dropped from 237 pounds to 215. Her body fat has improved from 39.7 percent to 36.7 percent. She wants to continue losing weight and reach a body fat level of between 20 percent to 24 percent.
As you can see, fitness is not just about weight loss or smaller clothing sizes. Be sure to check your biometrics, nutrition, cardiovascular fitness (VO2 max), strength, flexibility and body composition, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol, tryglcerides and glucose levels.
Wellness, after all, is all about increase: increased resistance to disease, increased energy, increased health and happiness!
You're invited
Watch "NBC 10 Fit Fest: Commit to Be Fit" at 7 p.m. tomorrow on Channel 10. The station is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Fit Fest, to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
On Saturday, meet Betty DeGeneres of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Extra" host Michael Corbett, "The Biggest Loser" winners Matt Hoover and Suzy Preston, members of the Philadelphia Soul AFL team and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin.
Scheduled to appear Sunday are "The Tonight Show" band leader Kevin Eubanks, singer/songwriter Lauren Hart, Philadelphia Eagle L.J. Smith and former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome "The Bus" Bettis.
Women runners needed
Participants are needed for a study examining female runners' perceptions of fear and concerns for safety running in Philadelphia.
The confidential interviews take 30 minutes and will be conducted in a location/time that is convenient to each participant.
Contact: Emily Roper, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology, Temple University, 131 Pearson Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122. E-mail eroper@temple.edu or call 215-204-1947. *