This One Thing Can Extend Your Life Dramatically

There have been numerous studies that have been conducted in the field of longevity and extending life.  These studies have identified a number of factors that are very important for living a long and healthy life.  These include eating a healthy diet, having a strong social circle and being responsible with your money.  None of these comes as a surprise to most people; they would probably say that it is common sense that eating well, having a good support group of people and not having to worry about money foster a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally.  There is one factor, however, that seems to have to most effect on a healthy and long life.  It is muscle mass.

Muscle for Advanced Age Health

Studies of elderly, healthy people have continually shown that those who maintain more muscle mass are much more likely to live longer, higher quality lives.  Not huge amounts of bodybuilder or elite athlete muscle, just more than average.

The list of benefits from having more muscle is long and impressive:  longer lifespan, reduced risk of chronic disease, stronger bones, less danger of falling, better recovery from illness, better movement, reduced risk of obesity and healthier organs and tissues.  This list is by not means exhaustive, but you get the idea!

How and How Much?

The subject of having more muscle later in life begs the question, how much muscle and how often do we need to exercise.  The answer to both is actually very little.  As we age, our muscles begin to get smaller as we use them less.  Slowing down that process and attempting to keep the muscle we have is good enough.  This assumes that the person has a relatively healthy muscle mass to being with; again, not elite athlete levels, but certainly a healthy lifestyle that includes resistance training.  Just continuing that training for one hour a week has been shown to have the desired effect of keeping muscle levels high.  These training sessions can be broken up as desired, it is less important how often so long as the weekly total is met.

Simply put, doing light resistance training with weights for sixty minutes a week, coupled with a healthy lifestyle, dramatically increases the odds of living a longer, higher quality life.