Chicagoland Senior News Special Features

There is no other single factor that is more important to our health than lean body weight - our muscle tissue. Yet how often do you hear this? Hardly ever - people who do not know what they are talking about tell you to 'just go for a walk' or just do 'twenty minutes on the bike'. As if these low intensity activities that only partially work muscles with tiny amounts of resistance can provide enough proper work directly to them to keep them strong.

Your exercise program should be made up of mostly strength training exercise as your strength is the most important fitness attribute you can build, maintain and look after. Your life literally depends on it and 'cardio' activities do not even come close to protecting it. Here are five reasons why we need strong muscle tissue:

1) Strength throughout the years. There is nothing more important than muscle strength and even more so as you get older. People do not fall and break a hip because they lack cardio fitness. The do not get put in a wheelchair or in a nursing home because they cannot go running anymore. They get disabled and dependent on others because they have no strength because their muscle tissue has wasted away from disuse.

2) A fat burning metabolism that will keep you slim and trim. The amount of lean body mass (muscle) on your body determines the speed that you burn fuel (calories). If you allow your muscular system to become weak and flabby your rate of fuel burning declines and you chances of becoming overweight increase.

3) Functional strength to use in whatever way you like to make your life fuller and more enjoyable with sports, recreational 'fun' activities or simply to make your daily life easier. Such tasks as carrying groceries or kids, climbing stairs, cleaning out the garage and gardening become easier when you have strong toned muscles.

4) A strong immune system. If you let your overall body strength dwindle all of your body systems and processes enter into a downward spiral as well including the immune system. As its job is to protect you from the killer diseases that stalk our inactive world the last thing you need is a faltering immune system.

The strength of this system depends on the availability of the amino acid glutamine and its primary storage site is our muscle tissue. Proteins that produce white blood cells and antibodies to fight infection or find and destroy cancer cells are also stored in muscle tissue. So, strong toned muscles mean more storage of these essential ingredients to fight illness and disease.

5) Looking good. A strong toned lean shapely body looks good in clothes (or out of clothes) no matter if you are a man or a woman, no matter where you go. Proper strength training exercise gives you curves in all the right places. Not only can it help us look good it can help us feel better and function better as well.

Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness trainer and former body building champion who has just released her latest healthy eating system designed to assist people with achieving their fat loss goals and restoring true health one meal at a time. This program will make you feel a million bucks. Visit http://21DaysToHealthyEating.com to find out how it is done.

It doesn't look likely that scientists will ever come up with a magic pill that will reverse the aging process and put the spring back in your step and the color back in your hair. Aging is just too complicated a process to deal with that way. That doesn't mean that there's nothing you can do. We know of many lifestyle choices you can make right now that will ease your way into your golden years.

Make these 10 lifestyle changes and you're bound to look and feel younger:

1. Your diet defines how well your body works on a daily basis. Put bad gas in your car and the result is immediate. Same thing with your body. If you're not getting a varied diet that includes fruits, whole grains and vegetables you're not getting the best out of your body. You'll also maintain your weight and your skin and hair will look better too.

2. Let's face it, TV stinks. So why not get out of the chair and get some exercise? Regular exercise has so many benefits you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner. You'll sleep better, lose weight, have better digestion and feel happier with a program of daily exercise.

3. If something doesn't feel right, tell your doctor. Your body sends you messages and it's a wise idea to listen before it becomes a big problem. Getting a checkup on a regular basis isn't just a way for your doctor to make a living, it will make sure you find problems before they get out of hand.

4. Use sunscreen. There are over 1,000,000 new cases of skin cancer reported every year and sun damage is a major contributor. Use sunscreen every day and you can avoid the blotchy, wrinkled skin we all associate with old age.

5. Stop smoking. This is a no-brainer but also a tough one. Giving up cigarettes can be very difficult but the benefits are so great that no effort is too small. Besides the risk of cancer and heart disease, your skin will look so much better. By the way, you'll smell better too.

6. Stress management. Being stressed out 24/7 has a way of aging your body like nothing else. If you can find ways to manage the stress like hobbies, travel or exercise you'll do your body a lot of good. Meditation is a great one for stress, plus you're doing good while doing nothing. What's easier than that?

7. Try to find ways to get your enthusiasm back. Remember when you were younger and everything was new and exciting? Time to try some different experiences to get that old excitement back. Stretch yourself and attempt something that sounds over your head. Even if you fail, you'll get a rush doing it and you'll find out about more new and exciting stuff along the way.

8. Keep your friends close. Your family and your friends are critically important to your health and happiness.

9. Don't let fears and worries dominate your life. A worried mind is not at peace and robs you of zest and energy which you need to maintain youthfulness.

10. Keep cells youthful with antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in a full-range of fruits and vegetables, as well as in some meats and fish. Although, our bodies produce its own antioxidants, the level of production declines over time because of environmental factors and the aging process.

You've got to maintain your body if you want it to get you all the way into a healthy old age. Keep in touch with your doctor to get more ideas on things you can do to stay healthy. When it comes to your health, a proactive approach is always better than a reactive one.

John Fleming is a health correspondent for the website at http://www.healthyliving411.com