Build Strength - Live Longer
You’ve read all about the benefits of walking, and you’ve been hitting your daily step goal. Great work!
But as you’re enjoying those daily steps, you might be wondering: "If walking 10,000 steps a day can lower my risk of dying by 66% compared to just 3,500 steps, are there other lifestyle changes that can have a similarly dramatic impact?"
The answer is a resounding yes—and it's all about strength.
Aging and Strength
As we age, many of us experience a natural decline in strength and muscle mass. This process is often accompanied by a decrease in mobility, leaving us less capable of doing the things we once enjoyed without experiencing an increase in soreness or even pain.
We’re told that this decline is inevitable—a fact of life as we grow older.
Losing Strength: Not an Inevitable Part of Getting Older
While aging can indeed lead to a decrease in strength, the real culprit behind much of this decline isn’t age itself—it’s inactivity. Less than 25% of Americans meet the recommended physical activity guidelines for strength and less than 50% of Americans meet the recommendation for aerobic activity.
The majority of the loss in strength and mobility we see as we get older is a result of becoming more sedentary over time, eating less protein, and engaging in less strenuous activities - not the aging process alone.
In fact we know that we can build strength throughout our entire life even into our 80’s and 90’s. This is crucial because for the general population the more muscle we have the more likely we are to live longer.
In addition while most people think their peak years for building strength is in their 20’s - this is simply untrue. We maintain the ability to gain strength at a similar level to our 20’s into our 40’s and 50’s.
Why Build Strength?
You might be thinking - “So I can build strength at any age and the more muscle I have the more likely I am to live longer, but is it really worth the time and effort?”
Yes - it is. Building strength isn’t just associated with an increased lifespan it’s also associated with.
How Do I Build Strength?
Clearly building strength is extremely beneficial but how do we do it? The good news is that building strength doesn't require hours in the gym every day. The current physical activity guidelines for resistance training are quite manageable:
Engage in muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups (legs, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms) at least 2 days per week.
For each exercise, aim for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
Choose a weight or resistance level that is challenging enough to where doing two or more repetitions would be challenging.
These guidelines provide a solid framework for anyone looking to start their strength training journey. How do you put this into practice?
Getting Started
You don't need fancy equipment to start. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges are excellent for beginners. Eventually you’ll likely need to incorporate weights as body weight exercises can only take us so far, but they’re a great place to start.
Consistency is key.
Start with exercises that feel manageable and gradually increase the difficulty over time. Increasing the difficulty over time is one of the key aspects of building strength and we’ll explore this concept known as progressive overload in a later blog.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and if you have any questions feel free to reach out!