More Muscle, More Health.
Sometimes we can forget the ‘why’ behind our training. It’s normal.
It might be performance-driven (dominate the hockey rink or the golf course etc.)
It might be health-driven (live to see your grandchildren, get your cardiologist off your back etc.)
It might be to get out of pain (be able to go about your day-to-day unhindered)
The list goes on.
Whatever your ‘why’ is…
…here are 4 reasons why building muscle is always a good thing:
More muscle usually means more strength. And there's literally no such thing as being too strong (unless of course you start accidentally crushing things with your bare hands which is... unlikely)
Muscle is metabolically 'expensive' for your body to sustain, which is good! It means that someone with more lean muscle will likely have a higher Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and therefore be more efficient at burning calories in a resting state.
Muscle is a major site for glucose disposal. When we eat, our blood sugar levels rise which is totally normal... as long as we can return those levels to baseline. More muscle = more glucose 'sinks' and therefore better blood sugar regulation (this is crucial in the context of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes)
Longevity. People who strength train live longer and more functional lives. It’s just a fact. Maybe it's down to having more independence later in life, maybe it's the protection from metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, or maybe it's just the psychological phenomenon of having something to work towards.
All I know, is that progressively strength training is more than just a workout. It's an essential part of proactively taking care of your health.
If someone you love isn't strength training, why not mention it next time you speak?
And if you send me their contact details, I'll reach out and introduce myself.
You might be helping them in more ways than you think.
