‘Tid-bits’ of Health
W hat’s building your body? What are the ingredients for building a healthy, strong body? How do we balance the daily teardown of tissue with the repair necessary for strength?
Wear and tear, we are told is just a part of life’s aging process. Well, that may be true, if we don’t do anything to the contrary to slow the process down and help the body repair.
When I was in school at Fresno State, one of my classes for my degree in Kinesiology, was a class on aging. The professor asked the class to give examples of symptoms people experienced as they aged, and she listed them on the board at the front of the class.
Many ailments were; aches in the joints, muscle weakness, fatigue, memory loss, saggy skin, the need for medications due to blood sugar issues and increased blood pressure. Typical, right?
Then she proceeded to name the consequences of inactivity— not enough daily exercise. And, guess what… the list was the same! Maintaining good muscle tone and strength helps with all the above ailments we relate to aging.
Too often, we feel powerless to change back the clock of time to a more youthful self. We hand-cuff ourselves to the notion that Father Time has come to rob us of our vitality, energy, and strength.
What’s more surprising, is we do this willingly! We don’t even put up much of a fight! Not only do we accept being cuffed to bad health, we give up the keys as well?
To gain back our health, even more, to not give it up to begin with (at least not without a fight), we are going to need to take charge and do some work. Build some muscle to build a better body.
I know what you’re thinking, that you’re not a bodybuilder. Awe, but you are. Every day we make choices that forms the body we live in. What comes to mind when you hear “Bodybuilding?” I know, the lean, cut bodies, with muscles packed on top of muscles and 0% body fat. The professionals. What if I told you that you too could teach your body to build muscle, release body fat, and use the food you eat as fuel?
Well, it starts with building muscle! And with the right tools anyone can put muscle on their frame. The magic of a better body is in the muscle.
Muscle is active tissue that is alive and breathes, gives us our shape, moves our bones through space, protects our organs, fires up our metabolism to burn calories, and is connected to our nervous system to send and receive messages for movement. Pretty important stuff.
The building blocks of muscle are proteins—in particular, amino acids. Proteins are necessary for life and therefore muscle is a critical part of our health. For muscles to stay strong and fit, they need movement, nourishment, water, oxygen, blood, and rest. When it comes to building and keeping muscle tissue, daily activity is vital to our existence.
Most of us do not have the desire nor the discipline to create bodies carved with massive muscle. That said, we shouldn’t ignore the power and significance of our muscles.
The benefits of keeping our muscles strong and functional affect how well we move, improves our coordination (reduced risk of falls), and the strength of our bones, ligaments, and tendons.
“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” –Plato.
If you still need convincing of the importance of muscle, think for a moment beyond the muscles in your arms and legs. Consider the most important muscle in your body—without it you would not be alive. Yes, you guessed it… your heart! The heart is a muscle, and movement is essential to the condition of both heart and body.
In the book ‘Pilates’ Return to Life Though Contrology,’ Joe Pilates had this to say, “Physical fitness can neither be acquired by wishful thinking nor by outright purchase.” He understood the perils of living a life void of physical activity and nutritional support back in 1945. Imagine what he would think of us today.
Being healthy and strong takes a conscious effort. The choice is yours. Will you make yourself a priority? Join the “body-building’ club and build muscle for a better you.
Move more, move better.
Michele.