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Did you know that increasing muscle power can prolong your life? If not, then you are in the right place to find out how and why!
Everybody knows that regular exercise promotes good health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and helps you live a longer, healthier life. For most of us, exercising equals activities that get the heart pumping, such as walking, jogging, or treadmill work.
However, we often overlook the value of strength training. It is imperative once you reach your 50s and beyond, as it is critical to preserving the ability to perform the most ordinary activities of our daily lives and to maintain an active and independent lifestyle.
Did you know that the average 30 year old will lose about ¼ of their muscle strength by the age of 70 and ½ of it by the age of 90? Regular strength training exercises can help you avoid this. Just aerobic activities are not adequate to preserve muscle. Unless you are doing strength training, you will become weaker and less functional.
The average 30 year old will loose about 1/4 of their muscle strength by the age of 70 and 1/2 of it by the age of 90
What does science tell us?
A 2019 report presented in the European Society of Cardiology has revealed that you can prolong your life by increasing your muscle power. The study involved 3,878 non-athletes aged 41-85 years old who underwent a maximal muscle power test of upright row for 15 years. This was the first time in science that muscle power was assessed for such a prolonged period. The upright row exercise was chosen for the study because it is a common action in daily life for picking up groceries, grandchildren, and so on. The study has found that those with the highest muscle power had the best survival, while those with muscle power less than the median, had a 4-13 times higher risk of dying depending on the values.
The researchers also concluded that it is necessary to further examine the specific causes of death including cardiovascular disease and cancer, but Professor Araujo accentuated that "Doctors should consider measuring muscle power in their patients and advise more power training."
"Doctors should consider measuring muscle power in their patients and advise more power training" Professor Araújo
A more recent meta-analysis of systematic research has found a link between 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-strengthening activities weekly and a 10% to 20% decrease in the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Although the research has not found the link to specific cancers, rather all cancer diseases combined. Moreover, the risk got even lower when strength training was accompanied by aerobic exercises.
Nonetheless, it is not surprising for strength training to have life-prolonging benefits. Strong muscles can help your body and mind in multiple ways. Muscle mass can burn calories at a faster rate and better regulate glucose metabolism than fat mass. Stronger muscles can also better support the rest of your body, creating a "muscle corset", improving coordination and protecting against damage and injuries.
Aerobic vs Strength Training: Personal Experience
We started getting into strength training in 2012. Before that, we were doing mostly aerobic exercises, as women usually do, which included running, walking, and cardio in the gym. However, with these aerobic exercises, we could not achieve the body shape we wanted. Moreover, it was quite difficult to manage weight, as the more cardio did, the hungrier we would have got. We started practicing strength training because we wanted to build our shape and manage weight effectively, but we did not know how much more would it give us!
We did not only achieve the body we always wanted and thought never would get, but also noticed that we can run faster, our brains work better, and we feel better. We can see that the quality of our lives has increased. We still do some aerobic exercise, as it benefits the cardiovascular system, but we prioritize strength training all the way.
Where to start?
A beginner's strength-building workout takes as little as 20 minutes. The key is developing a well-rounded program, performing the exercises with good form, and being consistent. You will experience noticeable gains in strength within four to eight weeks.
To find this well-round program with techniques explained in detail you can check our “Basix with Alla” fitness program, which was created specifically for beginners, so you are not afraid of those strange machines in the gym!
However, you start, go slow so you don't injure yourself. Discuss your new exercise plan with your doctor and explain the level of workout you expect to achieve. Mild to moderate muscle soreness between workouts is normal, but back off if it persists for more than a few days.
Just start now! Do not postpone it for tomorrow or for summer. It is not about how you will look in a bikini (although a nice bonus), it is about your quality of life. The earlier you start increasing your muscle power, the longer you will be able to live, be independent, and increase the quality of your life!
Yours,
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