Cardio used to be ALL the rage. It was the sweetheart of the fitness industry for decades, but oh how times have changed!

Today, muscle is coveted. And fairly recently, for the first time, many women are striving for the athletic, muscular look of an athlete.

And you know what? I think this is awesome! There are tremendous benefits to carrying more muscle mass (and less body fat).

Let’s face it …life has changed A LOT in the last century. Day-to-day life once involved physical labor, which is great for building and maintaining muscle.

But because the world doesn’t work that way anymore, it’s very easy for both men AND women to be low on muscle mass and high in body fat. It doesn’t look good when you’re young, and it’s detrimental to your health, vitality, and mobility when you’re older.

Here are 5 important benefits of building and maintaining muscle mass:

1. Increased metabolic efficiency – when you hold more muscle, your body needs higher amounts of energy to survive. Muscle is 3-5x more metabolically active at rest, which means muscle tissue burns significantly more calories at rest than fat.
2. Improved insulin sensitivity – this means more control over blood sugar levels and lower instances of diabetes. You’ll also have better blood glucose control. So, less dietary glucose (sugar) will be stored as body fat and you’ll have more energy overall.
3. Fight sarcopenia – this is age-related muscle loss. This actually starts around the age of 30, but you can reverse and prevent it by hitting the weights. So, if you want to get around on your own when you’re older, not shrink in height, and be strong rather than frail, work to build muscle and keep it! Use it or lose it!
4. Avoid disease – we all know that excess body fat causes a variety of serious health conditions. One of the best ways to keep fat off is by building muscle. And in doing so, you can avoid potentially deadly conditions like stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and many others. Are you doing all you can to avoid lifestyle-related disease?
5. Gain confidence – when you have more muscle, you have less body fat, and it should be no surprise that it’s a huge confidence booster! This confidence will spread across all areas of your life, as a better version of YOU emerges. You’ll inspire those around you as you become more positive, fearless, and proud of the body you’ve created.

So you might be wondering…what’s the best way to build and keep muscle?

First – you MUST be lifting! If you’re unsure what to do with those dumbbells, you need to be in my next coaching group! You’ll receive safe and effective daily workouts (in your choice of low impact, home or gym versions), that will have you growing your muscle mass to result in all the benefits above and more!

Other important factors include proper nutrition that supports building muscle, sleep, hydration, and stress management.

If you or someone you know have been putting off the exercise or maybe even afraid to build muscles (ahem, ladies!), I hope you see how essential it is. Not just for now, but for your future, as well. So much of what we may face when we’re older can be prevented by the choices we make now.

So, if you’re currently doing progressive weight training consistently… BRAVO! You’re giving yourself a gift with every workout, so don’t forget that! Who can you share this post with who NEEDS to hear this message? Our future and current health and happiness depend on it.

If you’re not actively working on building or maintaining muscle, please reach out to me. Schedule a free phone consult now. It will change every aspect of your life from how you feel when you look in the mirror to potentially how long you live and with what quality of life. Don’t put it off. You deserve your best!