[Cindy Krischer Goodman | Miami Herald]

As we age, strength or resistance training becomes key to adding new muscle mass

For women, once we turn 40, our metabolic rate in which we burn calories drops. We lose muscle tone and bone density. We become prone to stress-driven eating. And, we suffer from hormone fluctuations and middle-age spread. We also may find that fitness and nutrition routines that previously worked for weight loss and muscle gain, often stop working.

While all those changes sound scary, they also signal an opportunity for us to be in the best shape of our lives. We just need to approach fitness a little differently.

As we age, strength or resistance training becomes key to adding new muscle mass and maintaining good overall health and bone density, not to mention toned upper arms. Building muscle increases our ability to burn calories, perform activities of daily living and change the way our clothes fit.

To build muscle, we don’t have to hit the gym and lift 100 pound barbells or hire a pricy personal trainer.

“You don’t need to go to the extreme levels,” said Rob Herzog, Memorial Healthcare System Director of Fitness and Sports Medicine. “You can do strength training at home using your own body weight.”
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