There was an article in the paper today. I haven't verified it with sports scientists though. It says that more evidence is showing that if an individual takes up regular frequent exercise, the physiological changes of ageing (decline in respiratory function amongst others) are actually less than if you took a break. I guess that means...don't stop playing badminton. and regular exercise doesn't mean once a year!
As they say, use it or lose it! The older I get, the longer it takes for me to bring my performance level back up after a break, and it becomes harder to maintain, too. The dilemma is that as we age, our bodies don't recover/repair as fast as they used to. So, we have to work harder to maintain, but our bodies don't handle it as well. That's why so many older athletes who train rigorously to remain competitive also are susceptible to those nagging injuries. There's no doubt about the benefits of staying active, though.
Does the theory Cheung mentioned apply to retire folks?? I remember a study says that a man's rate of aging increases dramatically after retirement.
Perhaps for some it's partly psychological effect ("I'm retired now, I'm old") and for the ones who must keep themselves busy or get stressed out it's the frustration of having little to do. As for exercise slowing down signs of aging, definitely, it's common sense. Badminton is perfect, as long as you know not to push yourself too hard when your body says stop.
just compare a 65-70 crafty badminton player against a person who has the same age bracket but doesnt do any form of excercise. do i hear retirement home for the latter? personally i think it's more of staying fit and healthy while growing old...
