What’s So Mighty About Muscles?

(This is the expanded version of my quarterly Fabufit Newsletter.)

Muscles are not only mighty and magnificent; they are critical to our health, fitness and quality-long life. It takes decision and effort to keep and develop muscle mass. Is it worth it?

Loss of muscle begins as early as 30 (some experts say even earlier) and steadily progresses at the rate of 1/2 pound of muscle mass per year, IF we don’t counter this loss with consistent exercise, good nutrition, and learning to counter negative stress in our lives.

LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS

Fitness experts say that the true culprit stealing most of our beyond 50 fitness, health and wellness is “Muscle Wasting.” The condition has become known as “Sarcopenia”. This word in the Greek means “poverty of the flesh”.  We can’t wait until we are 49 to begin addressing this issue.

Many health situations people over 50 face today are directly related to this muscle loss instead of age as many try to blame.  Sarcopenia is also referred to as “Muscle Wasting”, says Fred Schafer, 56 year old young, lean fitness trainer. Fred says this causes your muscle to slowly leak away from your body a very small fraction each day. This is almost entirely lifestyle related.

No Longer Can Our Excuse be Age

The number one culprit for this “Muscle Wasting” is not age. It sounds like a good excuse, but age isn’t actually the enemy. It is UNPRODUCTIVE physical activity. All exercise has its wonderful benefits. However, Strength Training is so often left out or not done correctly. I never thought it was too important myself before my beginning research for Fabufit. For sure I never knew how to do this kind of exercise in earlier years. Truthfully, I saw it as a waste of time. Hmmm. How wrong I was.

My Journey

My journey into strength training began by reading a book called, Body for Life, by Bill Phillips. This book actually totally inspired me to begin my first teleconference class in 2000.

I will always be thankful for Lina LaRock, my first fitness trainer. She worked with me and taught me how to implement the things I had read about in Bill Phillip’s book. She taught me that stronger muscles will take over weaker muscles in the exercise if I wasn’t intentional.  She taught me a weekly routine. She taught me the importance of posture, especially during exercise. She taught me so many things including “life lessons” I will never forget.

About 2 1/2 years ago I learned about Crossfit Training. I met Erin Hathaway, owner of  Crossfit Ammo, and faced my fears and began. This was over the top fitness training way out of my league. I thought I was pretty strong and fit. I learned I couldn’t even do sit-ups and squats. What a blessing Erin and Crossfit has been in teaching me to use my own body weight as exercises I can easily even do at home. John and I go two times a week to work with Erin in her Master’s Class of seven and then we work out at home one or two other times a week.

Muscle Wasting little by little causes one to become a little weaker, slower, older and less energetic each day.  Metabolism is slowing down and muscle is being replaced by body fat. Yikes! Who wants this?

Schafer says we might think of our muscles as the physical power source of our body. As we let it slowly leak away day by day, we are slowly losing our power.

Wall Street Journal, July 2014, proclaimed “Older Adults Are Not Sick — They Are Just Weak!”

TODAY IS THE DAY TO BEGIN DEVELOPING MUSCLE MASS

It is never too late to start.
It is always too late to wait. ~ Jeff Olsen

Join our Team Fabulous to get started. It is the little things that make the big difference. Most miss these little things. You will learn what they are and begin a baby step path toward taking back what muscle has been lost.

Upcoming teleconference course: The Power of Your Imagination

• Four Week Teleconference Course Begins Monday night 8:30 Central
  
• How to Develop a Godly Imagination
• Each Week will Correlate and Guide the Imagining of One or Two Fabuit Fitness Principles Mastered
• Einstein says, “Imagination is more Important Than Knowledge”
• All Team Fabulous Members come Free

FOUR MINUTE OVERVIEW

Wishing you a life long and strong,

Dani

Certified Nutrition Consultant
dani@fabufit.com
FabulouslyFit.com
Fabufit.com

Fabufit Newsletters are Published each quarter. Blogs are published weekly at FabulouslyFit.com.

Fabufit is a simple fitness system based on Godly principles encompassing the whole circle of health: Spirit, soul (mind, will, imaginations, emotions) and body. I invite you to visit  my blog at FabulouslyFit.com.