“The Fountain of Youth”… Ponce de Leon searched for it, and people in modern times try to find it in “magic pills” or plastic surgery. In reality, it’s not about drinking water from this “Fountain of Youth,” but about LIFTING the bricks of which the fountain is made!

An amazing discovery was made by researchers at McMaster University Medical Center. The study compared the muscle tissue of a group of 22-year-olds at the cellular level, vs. the muscle tissue of a  group of non-active 65-year-olds at a cellular level.  Then, the 65-year-olds began strength training two days a week. After 6 months of consistent training, the biopsies were repeated. The results were astounding! At the cellular level, the muscle tissue had changed. In nearly a third of 65-year-olds, the tissue had undergone a genetic change that then resembled the tissue of the 22-year-old group. The strength training had actually reversed the effects of aging!

If you need another reason to make weight-training part of your workout routine, I have another study to share with you…

Older adults with greater muscle mass have a higher life expectancy

Researchers analyzed data from more than 3,600 older adults who took part in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants included men ages 55 and older and women ages 65 and older. As part of the survey, the participants underwent tests to determine their muscle mass index. The investigators used a follow-up survey to determine how many of the participants had died of natural causes and how muscle mass was related to death risk. People with the highest levels of muscle mass were significantly less likely to have died than those with the lowest levels of muscle mass.

“In other words, the greater your muscle mass, the lower your risk of death,” study co-author Dr. Arun Karlamangla, an associate professor in the geriatrics division at University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, said in a university news release. “Thus, rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass.”

I am hopeful that after reading this you are motivated to incorporate at least two days of strength training in your fitness routine. If you need help getting started, let us connect you with a Fitness Coach, Trainer, or one of our many Strength Training classes or small groups.

Contact us to see how we can help you take the first step, and start lifting those brick of the Fountain of Youth!