subject: You Can Prevent And Even Reverse Many Of The Negative Changes Of Aging [print this page] You Can Prevent And Even Reverse Many Of The Negative Changes Of Aging
As most of us grow older we morn the loss of our youthfulness. But maybe we should not grumble too much because not everyone even gets to grow old. It is a privilege and an opportunity denied to so many people but it does come with its challenges though. Anti-aging remedies and procedures are in hot demand as we struggle against the ravages of Father Time. While superficial changes can help us look and feel better truly holding back the aging process requires a strategy that improves our physical health.Much of what we call the aging process - shrinking muscles, drooping sagging skin, excess body fat and increased disease risk is nothing more than an accumulation of our inactivity. Our sedentary modern lifestyles are to blame. All of these negative changes are caused by a loss of muscle and a weakening of our muscular system triggers all the changes we see that erodes our youth away.Instead of looking to anti-aging treatments or procedures to keep our youth the number one most important thing we can do is to actively be maintaining muscle strength. When we are young we stay strong without intentional exercise. But, after the mid 20's if our body does not receive the stimulation of vigorous physical movement that is necessary to trigger muscle repair and growth, a long slow process of muscle wasting begins and continues throughout adult life.It is this loss of one of the most important systems in the human body - the muscular system that directly or indirectly causes the degenerative changes and processes that we know as the aging process. Muscles become smaller and weaker, bones also become weaker as they no longer have strong muscles pulling on them to keep them strong and joints deteriorate. The body's engine - the metabolism slows and the ability to process food into energy and other processes that keep us alive become less efficient. Body fat accumulates in the space left by the disappearing muscle tissue and health risks increase. These changes are what also negatively alter the physical appearance and shape of our body. We take on a 'spider' like look as fat accumulates around our middle and muscle tissue is lost in the legs and arms and they become 'skinny'. This process speeds up after the age of 50 until we eventually become so frail, weak and immobile that many people need care to even do the basic necessities of daily living.Yet many of these undesirable changes can easily be avoided with strength training exercise. It can be undertaken at any age to prevent and even reverse muscle tissue loss and its negatives consequences. Proper exercise can even be used to restore functional ability so one can move freely again. It is important to recognize that only strength training exercise is capable of slowing or reversing the muscle loss that makes us age prematurely. No other form of exercise or any other activity is adequate. It is a shame that many people have been led to believe that all they need to do is some walking or gardening or any other low intensity activity and it will keep them strong.Just 2-3 sessions each week which is such a small investment of your time and effort of proper exercise can pay huge dividends. Direct controlled loading of the muscles with sufficient resistance can rebuild loss strength or maintain it. No wonder strength training has been called the real fountain of youth - it can help you regain youthful vitality like nothing else can.
