F.A.C.E. your future. This week I’m focusing on the ‘C’ or ‘carrying a load.’ When we say ‘carrying a load,’ we mean resistance training or weight lifting. Through resistance training, you build new muscles and maintain the muscles you have. Remember that even though we like to call it “carrying a load,” you can resistance train by using resistance bands or even your own body weight. Pumping iron isn’t necessary.
Resistance Training Protects Your Health.
We lose 10% of our muscle mass between the ages of 25 and 50. That number goes up to 45% between the ages of 50 and 80. You can prevent this loss by making a conscious effort to maintain your muscles by resistance training. Resistance exercises help you retain muscle because they improve the amount of protein that your body retains, no matter how much you eat.
This loss of muscles leaves you feeling weak, vulnerable to falls and causes poor bone health. You may notice your legs and arms feeling shaky when you try to do normal activities, like carrying groceries. This is an indication of muscle loss. The solution: start carrying a load and doubling down on your resistance training.
The more muscle mass we have, the more calories we burn in one day. In addition to keep you trim, resistance training makes keeps your bones strong, lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke.
Dr. Vonda Wright’s Resistance Workout.
Each of the videos below contains 2 resistance exercises from Dr. Wright’s cross training video series:
To maximize your F.A.C.E., get a complete set of carrying a load body weight exercises in chapter 8 of my newest book Fitness After 40: Your STRONG Body at 40, 50, 60 and Beyond!
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