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Page 54 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com Missed an issue of abby's Mag? Additional BeneFits of Strength Training as You Age Maintaining healthy muscle mass is not the only benefit you can reap from a regular exercise program that includes strength training. Preventing heart disease and osteoporosis are two other major benefits. A key strategy to reduce your risk of heart disease (and a host of other chronic diseases) is to keep your inflammation levels low, and avoiding visceral fat is part of this equation. Visceral fat is the fat that shows up in your abdomen, surrounding your vital organs including your liver, heart and muscles. Exercise is a critical component for reducing heart disease risk because it both lowers inflammation in your body, and is one of the best weapons against visceral fat. How does it work? The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn because they consume calories around the clock, even when you're resting and sleeping. So, as you gain more muscle, your body naturally increases the amount of calories burned each day, which reduces fat stores. As for lowering inflammation, physical exercise accomplishes this naturally by lowering levels of a C-reactive protein (CRP) that is linked to inflammation. High levels of CRP in your body is associated with a higher than average risk of cardiovascular disease, and has even been suggested as a better indicator of possible heart attack than high cholesterol. How Strength Training Reduces Osteoporosis Weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis. The last thing you want to consider is to take a drug to improve your bone density, as without question, that is more likely to cause long-term harm than benefit. Your bones are actually very porous and soft, and as you get older, your bones can easily become less dense and hence, more brittle. Especially if you are inactive. Resistance training can combat this effect because as you put more tension on your muscles it puts more pressure on your bones, which then respond by continuously creating fresh, new bone. In addition, as you build more muscle, and make the muscle that you already have stronger, you also put more constant pressure on your bones. Nutritional Support for Muscles When you are training your muscles it is important to understand that this is somewhat of a destructive process, so it's important to provide your body with a fuel to help accommodate for the repair and recovery process. Ideally you would have a high absorbable form of protein within 15 minutes or so after finishing your exercise. High quality grass-fed organic whey protein seems to provide a nearly ideal source of fuel after you exercise. I have adjusted my exercise program so that in the morning, before breakfast, and shortly after I complete it, I have a Miracle Whey Protein drink that I combine with a number of other ingredients to improve the nutrition even more. It's Never Too Late to Improve Your Health Keep in mind that optimal health is dependent on an active lifestyle; eating fresh, organic, whole foods, avoiding as many processed foods as possible, and addressing the stress in your life. Ignoring any of these basic tenets of health will eventually lead to a decline in health and any number of diseases. So start moving, and don't stop no matter what your age! And do include strength training into your fitness routine. It is the number one way for you to remain strong, young, and independent well into old age. DON'T WORRY – GO TO WWW.ABBYSMAG.COM TO VIEW OR READ THE LATEST AND ALL PREVIOUS ISSUES. You can view it or read it on line, or download the PDF version of one page or the complete magazine. DON'T WORRY – GO TO WWW.ABBYSMAG.COM TO VIEW OR READ THE LATEST AND ALL PREVIOUS ISSUES. You can view it or read it on line, or download the PDF version of one page or the complete magazine.