As I coach people on healthy weight loss, one thing is very clear: muscle matters. The amount of lean muscle you have directly impacts your resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the number of calories your body needs at rest just to perform basic body functions like breathing and maintaining your heart rate. Of all the calories we burn throughout the day, the largest percentage is based on RMR.
Can We Change Our RMR?
It is hard to significantly change our RMR unless we become weight lifters and dramatically change the amount of muscle we have. More realistically, we want to prevent our RMR from decreasing. That typically happens as we age because we become more sedentary, and lean muscie is progressively replaced by fat.
Think "Protect" vs. "Build"
While it is hard to build muscle after a certain age, all of us can protect what we have, mostly through strength training, which keeps our metabolism on an even keel. Strength training also improves functional movement which is vital for day-to-day activities.
Where to Start
Starting strength training in a pandemic may sound daunting but it doesn't have to be. You can do strength training at home with no equipment other than your own body weight. Add light weights or resistance bands as you improve. The American Heart Association recommends strength training at least twice a week for at least 30 minutes, but this can be broken down into smaller increments.
Additional Resources
Alkalign - these highly efficient workouts focuses on functional movement. It's my personal favorite. Equipment is minimal (and optional) and can be purchased through Alkalign.
Bonesmart(R) Pilates - Pilates classes with emphasis on posture, injury prevention, coordination, core strength, flexibility and balance. Classes are ideal for people with osteopenia and osteoporosis.
7 Minute Workout - thanks to Zing community member Irv for this suggestion which can be used from your phone. This app provides a variety of 7-minute strength training workouts you can do without equipment. String them together for a longer session. (View this link on your phone.)
On February 10th at 11 am, Bonesmart(R) Pilates founder Teresa Maldonado Marchok will deliver a mini workshop on "Spine Tuning" as part of our Wellness Wednesday series. The session is free, but you need to register. (This webinar won’t be recorded, so try to attend real time).