anti aging secret - MUSCLE!

Our society is obsessed with anti aging. We spend a lot of time, energy, and money trying to retain our youth. And no shame from me, I have a very regimented skincare routine myself!

But did you know that in addition to regular facials and $$$$ skincare products, muscle mass can also help you look and feel younger?! Here’s how:

Better Skin

Building muscle improves skin elasticity, structure, and dermal thickness (1), reducing the appearance of those fine lines and wrinkles we spend so much time worrying about. Building muscle mass reduces oxidative stress in the body, which causes physical signs of aging (2). More muscle = younger looking skin.

Body Composition (aka: look better naked)

Muscle mass gives us the strong, defined, “toned” look that many of us are after. Increased skeletal muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake (3) as well, reducing risk of diabetes, inflammation, pain, and many other health issues that can cause people to look and feel older.

Mood and Energy Booster

There are many ways lifting weights will improve your mood, but I’ll leave you with two today:

• Better sleep! Resistance training has been proven to improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety and depression (4).

• This is a fun one: increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (5).

WTF is BDNF and why does it matter? When BDF levels are high, learning new information is easier, memories are easily accessed, pain sensitivity is decreased, and anxiety and depression are massively reduced. The higher the better my friend!

There are so many benefits to strength training, many of which you’ve heard me talk about here before. And now we get to add anti aging to the list? If you haven’t gotten in the weight room yet, maybe this will be just the kick in the butt you need :)

Ready to start lifting? Join us! Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for just $25!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEING JACKED

We're getting a little sciencey today!  

You've heard me talk about the general benefits of strength training before, and while those still hold true. . .  today I want to dive a little deeper.  

Research shows that muscle mass is positively associated with various health biomarkers and longevity. (1)  

One of the most obvious benefits of having muscle mass is protection against fragility.  As we age, injuries are much more difficult to recover from.  Most of us know someone that was never the same after they fell and broke their hip :(  Muscle mass serves as a protective barrier around your bones and joints, so the more you have the better your body will handle injuries as you age. (2)

If you're thinking, "Meg - I'm young!  This doesn't apply to me."  Well, you won't be a spring chicken forever and you don't have to be a grandparent to hurt yourself.  Develop your healthy, strong habits now and thank me later :)  

Research also shows that higher muscle mass is positively related to insulin sensitivity.   WTH does that mean and why should you care?  Generally speaking, if you are insulin sensitive, your body's cells are able to effectively use glucose as energy and lower your blood sugar to healthy levels after you eat.   If you are insulin resistant, it takes much more insulin to reduce your blood sugar after eating which can be very taxing on your body.  So taxing that it can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, inflammation, and other chronic illnesses.  (3) 

So in addition to the many strength training benefits you've heard before, now we can add living longer with lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes and other life-altering illnesses to the list.  

I don't know about you, but I'm trying to stay healthy as long as possible.  Life is hard enough without being chronically ill!  

Stay strong and live long my friend.

WILL LIFTING WEIGHTS MAKE ME BULKY?!

Are you worried that if you lift weights you'll get bulky?  This is a concern we hear a lot, mostly from the ladies. And while I don't want to discount your worries - you have every right to care about your appearance - I'm here to tell you that building large amounts of muscle is no easy task.

Have you ever met a body builder? Ask them if they bulked up when they started lifting and they'll likely spit their gallon-sized water in your face!

It takes YEARS of dedication to put on large amounts of muscle. We're talking a completely dialed in diet, consistent training for years (sometimes multiple times per day,) lifting very heavy weights, and sometimes even a little help in the testosterone department - as most women generally lack the testosterone levels needed for significant muscle mass gain.

My favorite analogy for this is: thinking you'll turn into a body builder from lifting weights is like thinking you'll turn into a Nascar racer from driving a car.

Unless you decide to dedicate your life to getting bulky, it's probably not going to happen my dear.

So let's ditch the baby dumbbells and excessive cardio, and start challenging ourselves on the weights! I think you'll find that the benefits of strength training far outweigh any worries of turning into the incredible hulk.

STOP TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT QUICKLY

When many people embark on their fitness journey, their goal is to lose weight ASAP.  And while we love the motivation and eagerness to get started. . . . we also have some bad news.  Losing weight quickly rarely works  :(

Research shows that somewhere between 75%-90% of people that take weight off quickly put it right back on. Oftentimes if you go in too hot, drastically reducing your caloric intake and/or increasing your energy expenditure you will indeed drop weight quickly.  The issue is that most people can't sustain these dramatic changes for long and as soon as that motivation wears off and your behavior goes back to "normal," so does your weight.

Losing weight quickly can also lead to muscle loss, low energy, and nutritional deficiencies.  Your body needs to be fueled to feel and perform it's best!

Your weight does not define you or your overall health.  There is no shame in wanting to drop some lbs, but the number on the scale is not the only indicator that you're kicking @ss.  Your strength gains, sleep, energy levels, and so many other factors are important players as well.

Maintaining a healthy weight over time is achieved through balanced nutrition, consistent training, and a lifestyle you can maintain and enjoy.

So consider ditching the quick fixes and find a more methodical approach to wellness.  It's the only thing that works in the long run!