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As the average man ages he loses
muscle and gets weaker. After their teenage years, most men become
less active with each passing decade. With the advent of labor-saving
devices, many tasks once performed manually are now executed
at the flick of a switch. Even our leisure activities have been
altered by technology. When was the last time you enjoyed a Sunday
outing? A row on a lake? A walk in the woods? Thanks to the NFL,
the NBA, the PGA, and other perks of cable and commercial TV,
there is hardly reason to leave our air-conditioned dens. Our
quantum leap in technology has resulted in a steady decline of
physiology. The physical demands of everyday living are simply
not what they used to be. We're living longer because of better
medicine. But living even longer stronger requires investment
in the vibrant health habits.
Breakdown of Muscle
Research by Dr. Gilbert Forbes
of the University of Rochester School of Medicine shows that
the average man loses a half-pound of muscle per year between
the ages of 20 and 50. This average man is one who does not engage
in regular strength-building exercise. As a 50-year-old his body
is 15 pounds less muscular than at age 20. The loss of muscle
and strength and thus probable decline in other biomarkers is
strictly from a lack of use. Sooner or later, this disuse is
likely to manifest itself in a physical ailment such as a heart
attack, arthritis, or a degenerative disk. From there, it's usually
a steady downward spiral. Strength may not be a panacea but,
of all the factors over which you have some control, it is a
critical one. Many of the aches and pains of old age can be averted.
It is important that you understand the perils of ignoring muscle.
Atrophy, the shrinkage of muscle tissue from disuse, involves
metabolic breakdown of muscle into its constituent compounds,
which are removed by the bloodstream.
Atrophied muscle does not turn
into fat. Muscle and fat are composed of different cells, and
it's impossible to turn one into the other. Muscle cells that
atrophy simply lose their fluids, become smaller and weaker,
and lessen their ability to contract.
Less Horsepower
Muscles are the engines of the
body; weaker muscles mean less horsepower and a marked decline
in performance results. lf you ever fractured a limb and spent
several weeks in a cast, you will have experienced a rapid atrophying
of muscles from total immobility, along with accompanying pain
in the joints.
Without proper strength training,
many of us place our entire bodies into a cast of sedentary living.
The effects progress more slowly than what we experience with
a fractured arm, but the results are just as damaging.
Fuel of High Achievment
Recent findings from Club Business
International reveal that more than twice as many chief executive
officers of major corporations exercise on a regular basis compared
to adult men in general.
Do CEOs exercise because they
are high achievers? Are they high achievers because they exercise?
While there are no exact answers, one plausible theory is that
the discipline of regular exercised as well as its effect on
health and vigor, contributes to the achievement of lofty goals.
In addition to labor-saving devices,
modern technology has provided efficient exercise tools and useful
information that enable proper strength training to be achieved
in as little as three 20-minute workouts per week. You don't
have to be a gym rat, a muddlehead, or a fitness fanatic. In
the same amount of time that you commit to everyday hygiene,
you can factor effective exercise into your daily life.
Strength training is an integral
element of productive living. Time invested in averting Easy-chair
Atrophy pays bonus dividends that mature during the second middle
age.
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