We often forget about this benefit.
Often because we’re too caught up with getting more toned and feeling more confident.
^^^ Which is obviously important
But given that we now live longer than we ever have done…
Being physically independent for as long as possible...
^^^ That’s being able to do your own shopping, not be out of breath from climbing stairs / playing with your kids, preventing falls, as well as just simply ‘being’ around to see your kids grow up <<< which can easily be taken for granted.
Obviously plays a key role in our quality of our life.
How confident we feel.
How happy we are.
And a recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology has some interesting news for us all:
Resistance exercise preserves and protects your ability to send signals to - and use - your muscles.
^^^ It reminds me of that mind-muscle connection I spoke about the other day.
The interesting part was that aerobic activity alone, like walking, spinning and running…
Didn’t have the same effect.
With the take-home being:
Do some kind of resistance exercise and start as early as you can.
It’s never ‘too late’.
And I’m not talking long, boring gym sessions.
It could be as simple as the following:
1. Squatting up and down from a chair without using your hands
2. Doing push ups using a wall
3. Grabbing two tins of baked beans (other tins are available) and raising them out to your side to just below your ear lobes
And here's the thing:
We think we always have to go from zero to hero.
All or nothing!
Which makes us scared.
Full of fear
^^^ A bit like me and my fear of public speaking whilst at university (I would have done ANYTHING rather than get up in front of people and present)
And we end up doing nothing.
Forgetting that the first step IS the hardest part.
And starting small.
Getting those small wins
^^^ Perhaps you do a 5 minute exercise session every morning before brushing your teeth?
Creating momentum
^^^ Even if it’s a walk to start with (I know this isn’t resistance exercise BUT it’s still helping your body to better handle sugar and your mind to…relax <<< and when was the last time it did that?)
Might just lead to you doing things that you never thought you could do (or even try doing)
^^^ Which in my case, has been sharing my story and my nutritional knowledge in seminars and presenting to hundreds of people to put them in control of their eating habits for good (as opposed to going on a potato detox)
And who knows…
The best years might just be ahead of you
^^^ I always get the old:
I used to be able to do ‘this’ and ‘that’ but…
* ‘I’m not fit enough anymore’
* ‘I'm too fat’
* ‘don’t have the time’
But as soon as we take responsibility.
And become accountable.
These fears...
Worries.
And doubts.
Don’t seem so real anymore.
Matt
PS. Do you currently do resistance exercise?