Want to Reverse the Ageing Process? Then Strength Based Exercise Is What You Need!

Chances are, you are aware that your muscles don’t feel like they used to. Perhaps they feel softer, flabby, or looser? You may just be aware that you can’t lift and carry things that are as heavy. Perhaps you can’t spring up the stairs like before or get off the floor as easily. I’m also sure you make the odd groan when you do something effortful. The “over 40 sounds,” as Sophie calls it!

Research has shown that you start losing muscle from the age of 30. This accelerates to 3% a year once over 50. Being all technical it’s called sarcopenia, and it’s something you need to get smart about as it could save your life. As frightening as it sounds, sarcopenia is a predictor of mortality. The weaker you are, the higher risk you are of falls, injury, hospitalisation, and death.

It is possible to reverse sarcopenia with the right type of exercise. So please listen in and share this stuff with friends and family.

Loss Of Muscle Isn’t Just a Problem with Aging

It’s not just the aging process that causes sarcopenia. Everyone on our email list has come to us because they’ve been injured or struggled with movement in some way. Sarcopenia is also caused by injury and being inactive, which in turn will increase your chances of falling, hospitalisation, and death. Perhaps something you don’t want to think about in your 40’s or 50’s

BUT, the habits you’ve got into now will shape your future – whether that’s how you move or your relationship and beliefs about exercise.

The fact is, it's a darn site easier making the changes earlier than leaving it until you’ve got an acute problem. Strength-based exercise needs to become more mainstream and accepted as the essential form of exercise for EVERYONE. But first we need to bust some taboos and common misconceptions.

What If You Don’t Want to Be Like Arnie?

For most of you, “strength” exercise conjures up images of body builders, enormous scary weights, dodgy spray tans, and sweaty gyms.

Wow their little pony!

It doesn’t have to be like that, in fact, simply using your body weight is enough for most of us to make some good changes. More on this next week.

Fact is, strength-based exercise helps boost metabolism, shift fat, and tone muscles up. It doesn’t have to be about developing the Popeye type muscle look!

Why Strengthening You Muscles Helps Your Body

The benefits of strength-based exercise go way beyond being able to stay lifting heavy stuff around your home. The benefits to the body are vast. You need to be aware of ALL of them before you poo poo it as something that’s “just not for me”. Even if you aren’t a fan yet, the following proven benefits can’t be gained by doing anything else, so please read on…

Feeling sluggish and low energy?

FACT When you strengthen muscles, you build muscle which means you get more mitochondria. These little things are the bodies energy packs. The more you have, the more energy you have at your disposal.

Having trouble with inflammation or chronic illness?

FACT Muscles help control inflammation. When they contract, they release chemicals calls cytokines which act to switch off the inflammatory cycle your body can get in to. Inflammation is a key problem in all modern-day diseases. Arthritis, IBS, skin problems to name a few can all be helped by doing strength-based exercise. The stronger you are, the more you can help reduce inflammation in your body.

Struggling with weight gain or diabetes?

FACT By building more muscle you have also build more receptors in your body to soak up the sugars. Doing regular strength-based exercise makes you less likely to develop type II diabetes. It also helps your body cope with the food you eat. How good is that?!?

Got osteopenia, osteoporosis, or worried about getting them?

FACT To help prevent, and reduce them worsening, the best thing to do for osteoporosis is strength-based exercise. By overloading your muscles and body in a way that you don’t

normally do in daily life, it gets your muscles and bones stronger. Bones lay down more bone, becoming denser when they are stimulated with the higher loads of strength training, making them less likely to fracture if you fall.

Peri-menopausal or beyond?

FACT Strength-based exercise slows down the bone loss that occurs during the menopause and beyond. Doing it, lowers your risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering broken bones as I’ve mentioned above. It’s super important to load all your body with training to keep your bones strong. Just walking lots isn’t going to do anything to strengthen your arm bones! Wrist fractures, as Nana Rendle knows full well, are very common when you fall, so make sure you load your arms lots too!

Peri-Menopausal, menopausal, and struggling with weight gain?

FACT Strength-based training revs up your reducing metabolism so you can burn more fat. This happens even when at rest provided you’ve trained in the right way. So, if you are struggling to shift your wobbly bits, have you tried specific strength training? If not, you need it in your life! Strength-based training is ESSENTIAL for every woman as they age.

How Strong Muscles Help You Mind

The mind gets a HUGE boost by doing strength-based exercise. Research has proven the following benefits from this specific type of exercise;

• Increased attention (cardio exercise doesn’t help with this – FACT)
• Reduced likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s
• Improved ability to resolve conflict
• Improved memory
• More effective treatment for depression than drugs. FACT. This last fact alone is HUGE for so many people.

The Pert Bottom Line – What You Need to Do If You Want These Benefits

Again, the research is super clear if you want ALL the health benefits above and feel better in your jeans!

You must do it twice a week to improve muscle mass, function, and brain health. FACT.

There are ways around doing certain exercises if you’ve got a particular problem. Exercises can be adapted, provided you work with a skilled trainer or therapist. So that excuse about your knees, back, or shoulder don’t wash with us at the HealthHub I’m afraid!

It can be a hugely enjoyable form of exercise. In fact, once you feel and see the benefit’s you will likely be hooked, like many of our clients. Please don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

It’s a Lifestyle Choice

Doing Strength-based exercise needs to be a lifestyle choice for us all, me included. I don’t do enough of it and given my age, it’s essential I don’t put it off any longer. Pilates isn’t enough. Making time in my week to look after my future self is essential and that’s why I start with Abbie next week!

Want Some Help?

If any of this has given you a little prod in the right direction but you still feel a bit unsure how to start or what to do, just give us a buzz and we will happily book you in for a FREE Discovery Visit with Abbie. She will find out a little about you, what your current problems and concerns are, find out what you want to achieve and then help you plan what you can do to start getting the miraculous benefits above. It’s so simple. Call us on 01548 852355 or email [email protected] to find out more. There is no obligation to sign up to anything. We just want to make sure you start in the right way.

Be wise, get strong. If you really do want to live a longer, stronger, happier, and healthier life, it’s time to take your strength seriously and prioritise improving it. Your body and mind need you to.

With love,

Abbie