Here’s to Your Health
By Michele Tenney
Michele Tenney
This year I have set a goal of adding leaner muscle mass to my body.
When most people hear this, they think I’m probably getting prepared for a body-building contest. However, it’s quite the contrary. “Lean muscle” is a bit of a poor description, as there is really no such thing. While there are different types of muscle mass, in truth is all muscle is lean.
There is, however, a difference between lean body mass and muscle mass. I am not training for a body building competition; I’m talking to you about the importance of your skeletal muscle.
Lean muscle mass and skeletal muscle are one in the same. Skeletal muscles have many functions, including support, movement and homeostasis (the ability for your body to keep a constant internal temperature).
To a 19-year-old this information may seem unimportant or irrelevant, but for the middle-aged and aging populations it should be a high priority in their exercise regime. Skeletal muscles play a huge part in the way our bodies function because our bones wouldn’t be held together without them. Think about that for a minute. Both women and men can suffer from osteoporosis, a reduction in bone density, as they age. As in the George Thorogood song, not maintaining your muscles is “bad to the bone.”
Weight training is best for gaining muscle mass. However, it has to be accompanied by a high-protein, low-fat diet. You can’t eat out five days a week and expect to see results just because you’ve been hitting the weights two or three times a week. Food and exercise go hand-in-hand. No exceptions to the rule. Running can also add to your lean muscle mass provided you eat some good carbohydrates post-workout.
As we age, we need to be diligent about muscle building. Studies show that women and men over 60 cannot easily build muscle but certainly can maintain what they have built. They simply have to lift weights more often than they did as younger adults.
So don’t quit. Many people feel they simply aren’t working out hard enough doing weight training, but weight training isn’t meant to be easy (though it shouldn’t be too strenuous either). It has to be challenging, and by all means you should sweat a bit. It has to be a head-to-toe workout. No muscle is left behind. My 96-year-old client does it and so should you.
We all want to live long, healthy, meaningful lives, right? I’m giving you the secret to the Holy Grail. You are a spirit that has a soul that lives in a body that needs its bones to be attached to strong muscle.
You are worth it. I believe in you, but it’s much more important for you to believe in yourself. Here’s to your health.