You often hear muscle weighs more than fat.  The reality is, a pound is a pound.  However, the difference is their composition.  Muscle is dense and fat is not, hence occupying less space.

Personally, I would rather have an extra 5 lbs. of smooth, lean, and dense muscle than 5 lbs. of bulky, squishy, unhealthy fat.  What about you?

Increasing your muscle mass, no matter what age, has many benefits:

• Increased strength and endurance
• Reduce risk of injury
• Improve balance and stability
• Increased energy and self-esteem
• Look and feel better

More importantly, have you thought about increasing your body’s efficiency? Think about a car.  With the right fuel, a strong engine, and keeping up maintenance, it will run like a champ.  By feeding our bodies foods high in nutrients, creating a strong physique, and maintaining adequate cardiovascular strength, we create a body that performs at maximum efficiency! Being more efficient means more energy, more fun, and a better quality of life.  Ask anyone who has not taken care of their body and is limited with a lot of things in everyday life, what they want. I bet they would say a better quality of life.  We cannot control how long we live, but we can definitely control the factors that keep us living the quality life we all deserve. Is that motivation for you to make a change? If not, let’s look at it from a different angle.  By increasing your lean muscle mass through weight training, your body will burn calories more efficiently.  Burning more calories means you can take in more calories.  Unfortunately, this muscle must be maintained.  It does not exempt you from chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, which are associated with living an unhealthy lifestyle.  More muscle does not mean you can eat what you want, but it does allow you to cheat a little. Remember, look at ALL the benefits of building muscle and losing fat.  Combined, they will jump start your journey to a NEW, healthier, you!  Be more efficient!

Jill Fiala, Director of Wellness