 |
|
|
| The Anti-Aging Miracle | |
By Coach Jim
As a fitness professional I am constantly being asked
questions about various topics relating to diet and exercise.
It's strange because people are so fascinated by the topic
yet they hardly ever act on my advice. With experience
I've come to be able to pick out the people who are merely
interested but not serious about making a change in their
physical well-being. It's always too bad for them because
what I've learned could make such a difference in their lives
it truly is amazing.
While there is, unfortunately, no fountain of youth, there
is a form of exercise that can be performed that is pretty
darn close. Strength training, resistance training, weight
lifting, whatever you want to call it it's nothing short of an
anti-aging miracle. If you don't engage in this type of
activity as you get older you are truly letting your body
down.
Walking, playing golf and tennis and every other type of
activity out there is good exercise. However, strength
training is great exercise. It builds muscle. And muscle
should always be considered a precious commodity.
Especially, as we get older and begin to lose it. That is,
if we don't do anything to keep it. Strength training
is the stimulus that the body uses to respond with more
muscle.
Here's a few of the benefits of that added/maintained
muscle tissue:
1-Strong bones
2-Perfect posture
3-Full range of motion in our joints
4-Cardiovascular health (the stronger our muscles are the
less
strain on our "tickers")
5-Decreased body fat
6-Lower blood pressure
7-Increased glycogen uptake (in other words, less chance
of developing adult diabetes)
8-Improved athletic performance
9-Prevention of injuries
10-Endless amounts of energy
The aches and pains associated with age are not mandatory.
There's no rule book on aging that mandates people must
feel bad when they get older. It simply takes a little effort to
combat. I've worked with plenty of baby boomers who are
simply amazed that they can now get out of bed without
any pain. It's due to nothing more than the fact that they've
regained the muscle that time had started to strip from them.
On average, every adult loses five pounds of lean muscle
tissue per decade after the age of twenty five. And since
muscle is the only tissue in the human body that burns fat
for energy, the typical gain in body fat is ten pounds.
When the fat starts to accumulate in our midsections we are
at greater risk of serious health problems such as:
1-Heart disease
2-Adult onset diabetes
3-High blood pressure and stroke
Cardiovascular exercise is a very important piece of the
puzzle when it comes to taking care of yourself. However,
if you could only choose one form of exercise that would
be best for your health it would be strength training. It's
that important to your body. Look at it this way; your
heart serves your muscles. If you let your muscles
wither away your heart won't have any purpose to serve.
And cardiovascular exercise simply doesn't maintain and
build muscle like strength training does. They're both
important and I highly suggest you incorporate both into
a complete fitness program. One that will keep you healthy
and happy for a long, long time.
About the author:
Coach Jim explains fitness without the fluff. Right now you
can sign up for his weekly e-zine, [Fit-Tip] (a $97 value) for
free and receive his "Top 14 Tips to Help You Burn Fat Fast!"
Simply visit www.yourfitnesscoach.com
|
|
|
