If I Had To Pick Just One: (Part Two)
In part one of this article I gave my views on picking one exercise out of the many that exist and what I thought about that. If you want to read part one then go here .
Today I am talking about a much simpler choice. If I had to choose just one form of exercise to be the most important one for the promotion of long term health and functional capacity, which one would I choose?
In 1991, William Evans, PhD, and Irwin H. Rosenberg, MD, professors of nutrition and medicine, respectively, at Tufts University published a book titled “Biomarkers: The 10 Keys to Prolonging Vitality”. In this book they discuss 10 key factors that affect the way our bodies appear to decline over time along with simple strategies we may use to enhance our health and well being and prolong our functional capacity as we age.
Many things are discussed in the book but it turns out that there is one form of exercise that is better then all the rest. And the winner is (drum roll please) Strength Training.
It turns out that Strength training has a positive impact on each of the ten biomarkers mentioned in this book.
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Bone density: Strength training may improve bone density and aid in warding off osteoporosis.
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Body temperature regulation: By gaining or maintaining lean muscle mass the body may more easily maintain an optimal internal temperature.
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Basal metabolic rate: The addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to ward off the gradual decline in BMR that can manifest as we age.
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Blood sugar tolerance: The addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to ward off the onset of type two diabetes through its positive impact on the body’s ability to use glucose in the bloodstream.
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A decline in muscle strength: The addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to ward off the gradual deterioration of muscles and motor nerves which can begin as early as the age of thirty in sedentary folks.
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Body Composition: The addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to ward off the common increase in fat to muscle ratio which often occurs as we age and is exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle.
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Aerobic capacity: Counter intuitively for some, the addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to enhance aerobic capacity both directly through well structured training and indirectly by enhancing the muscles ability to use oxygen efficiently, which may decline by up to 40 percent by the age of 65.
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Cholesterol and HDL ratio: The addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to improve HDL / LDL ratios.
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A decline in lean muscle mass: The average sedentary American may lose up to 6.6 lbs of muscle mass with each decade after young adulthood, and the rate of loss tends to increase after age 45 (but only if one doesn’t do anything to replace it). So…Strength train.
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The addition or maintenance of lean muscle mass may help to ward off a steady increase in blood pressure often seen in Americans as we age.
So there you have it, 10 reasons why you should be including a simple strength training program in your life. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and get to it! If you need any help visit us at www.tntstrength for tons of great information.
TAKU's NOTE: If you are Looking for the best Strength Training tool for in Home Training I Highly recommend that you check out the Harambe System. As far as I am concerned it is the best home gym on the market. If you visit their website you can get 15% off using the code TNT at checkout.
For more ideas about creating simple effective strength training and conditioning programs check back here frequently or visit us at: www.tntstrength.com
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TNT has over 40 years of combined fitness experience, so if you’re looking for a coach who can train you in person in our Oakland California Studio or online from anywhere in the world, visit our online training page to book a consultation.
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