Muscle is an Invaluable Asset!

As a fitness professional, I learned long ago that talking about muscle is a slippery slope. The mere mention of the word conjures images of extreme body builders such as vintage Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I often hear people say things such as “I don’t like resistance training because I don’t want to become too muscular”. But I can honestly tell you people do not accidentally become super muscular. Deliberately and successfully building the kind of muscle you see on a body builder is extremely hard work, requiring tireless focus, commitment and determination. If you strive to build that kind of body, no one is going to be more aware of it than you!

Extreme building aside, as time marches on, muscles are one of your greatest assets. Because healthy movement is one of the most significant factors in successful aging. If you want to enjoy quality of life into your 80s and 90s, you’ll want to pursue and maintain a regime of high-quality movement. Why? Because, quite simply, you will move better and feel better for longer.

If we break down all of your body’s components from an anatomical perspective, it’s magical muscle that helps us move! The more control and strength we have over our muscle, the more precisely we can move, enjoying greater flexibility and range of motion. When we can move confidently, we are less likely to sustain injuries and falls in years to come.

Now, doesn’t that make you want to work on your muscles?

Here’s another thing to consider. Calories are our body’s energy source. From our body’s point of view, we burn a lot of energy when we have robust muscle health. This is one of the reasons why inactivity results in quick loss of muscle. Something we all want to avoid if we wish to remain independent and active into our senior years. The expression “sitting is the new smoking” nicely emphasizes the costs associated with choosing a sedentary lifestyle.

Do you want to move better? You want to feel better? Then take care of your muscle. Because research has shown it will then take care of you.