Although sustained aerobic activity is the cornerstone of my plan to beat heart disease — because it builds up your cardiovascular system, which leads to endurance, lower blood pressure, and heart health — this is not the only type of exercise your body craves. For optimal health, you need to build muscle mass.
Once we pass age 50, our sex hormone levels drop (testosterone in men, estrogen in women), which causes muscle mass to diminish. When this happens, muscle is replaced with fat, and the flabby result shows in the mirror. Regular strength training (also called resistance training) builds muscle and decreases the losses that are normally experienced with aging.
Muscle tissue is very active and has high-energy requirements. This means that the more muscle you have (compared to fat), the more calories you can consume without gaining weight. And there also are practical advantages to having more muscle mass. Added muscle tissue helps maintain strength and bolster endurance. Muscle allows you to do the things you love to do, such as bowling, gardening, or even playing with grandkids. That’s why it is so important to build strength training into your daily schedule.
Though sporting goods stores carry a variety of inexpensive weights and exercise books or DVDs with exercises you can learn, I’ve found the best way to work out is to join a gym. Such a facility has weight-training machines to give all your muscles a workout, and you can adjust the weight level as well. I do at least 10 repetitions on each machine.
You can start with a low weight. As your strength increases, increase the number of reps, not the weight. Eventually, you can increase the weight, but when you do, cut back the number of reps you do. Do six or eight repetitions with the higher weight, and then work your way back up to 10 to 15 again.
If you’re exercising at a gym, ask the staff to make sure you are using the machines properly, or work with a trainer. That’s an excellent way to get started.
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