Your home’s altitude isn’t changing, but you are. While mountain living was a breeze a few decades ago, you might be feeling malaise as you age. You might find yourself with more time and freedom to enjoy the mountains, yet less ability to get out and do what you want. There’s biology behind these symptoms. Don’t let the aging process shatter your dream of retiring in the mountains. Altitude simulation could be the solution.
If you’ve been living in the mountains for a long time, you know that there is less oxygen at altitude. Our bodies compensate for the lower oxygen by increasing our heart and respiration rates in order to cycle more air through our lungs. As we age, it becomes more difficult for our bodies to keep up with the increased workload, even when we’re just sitting still.
And we didn’t move to the mountains to sit still! Our bodies require even more oxygen when exercising. The maximum amount of oxygen our bodies are able to use during exercise is called VO2 Max. You can think of it as the horsepower of your human car, and the higher your VO Max score, the longer you can hike, bike or ski.
No matter our age, VO2 Max decreases at altitude, meaning that all individuals have less capacity to fuel exercise at higher altitudes than they do at sea level. But age plays a role as well. VO2 Max peaks in our 20s or 30s and declines about 10 percent per decade after that. The older we are, the lower our horsepower. Though our altitude remains constant, a dropping VO2 Max means more altitude-related symptoms. Individuals who have remained healthy and fit into their retirement years will still find it becomes harder to enjoy active leisure activities.
Then come the underlying conditions. Let’s face it: The older we get, the more of these conditions we tend to develop. Conditions of the circulatory and respiratory systems decrease our ability to utilize oxygen both at rest and during exercise, further exacerbating the low-oxygen problems.
It might feel overwhelming, but don’t throw in the towel on high-altitude retirement! Altitude Control Technology, the industry leader in oxygenation systems, offers a solution. The company builds in-home, customized oxygenation systems. Tucked neatly out of sight, your system is calibrated to mimic your ideal elevation. As little as six to eight hours of sleep in an oxygenated room restores oxygen levels in a way that can last the entire day. You can wake feeling refreshed, vibrant and ready to tackle mountain activities in these altitude controlled private residence. altitudecontrol.com