We have learned so much more about the human body and the aging process and it is now apparent that this belief does not address the number one biomarker of the aging process – muscle tissue loss. It is because of this knowledge that you will hear a lot about the importance of keeping your muscular system strong so you can hold off and delay many of the problems that accompany the aging process.

There are many important reasons to hold on to our precious muscle tissue and one of them is that it is vital for bone and joint health. Bone loss and deterioration used to be blamed on the aging process but this is one of the things that we have learned is not so. Our muscles are attached to our bones and it is when strong muscles pull on those bones with vigorous activity that it keeps the bones strong as well. If muscles are allowed to become weak and flabby bones weaken and become brittle as well.

We do not usually give our joints much thought – those moving bits between our bones so we can move around. But if they hurt it does not make for a happy active life. Once again if the muscles are kept strong they hold the joints firmly in the right place so they can work properly, and be cushioned and protected from the stress of day to day activities.

You could say our bones and joints are like the chassis in a car making up our skeleton. Think of the muscles as the mechanism that holds everything together so we can move freely and you can start to understand its importance if we are to keep our physical functionality. If we allow our muscles to weaken everything under them also weakens and pain and problems set in.

There is not enough ‘work’ for our muscles to remain strong in our modern world. We literally sit most of the day and most people simply do not get enough muscle building and maintaining activity. The only way we can make sure we do get enough is to add an intentional strength training program into our lives and never stop doing it no matter how old we are or we get.

In fact the older you get the more important it is as muscle loss escalates to around one pound per year after age 50 unless you work to keep it. When you challenge your muscles with proper exercise your muscles, bones, joints and every system in your body becomes stronger and healthier. When muscles are used and challenged old worn out cells and tissues in every part of the body are replaced with new, stronger and healthier ones from the ‘growth and repair’ hormones that are stimulated.

So, it is really up to you how you fare as you get older. Keeping your strength with proper exercise is the most basic of self care practices that we all must do to keep ourselves functioning and out of the nursing home. The old ‘use it or lose it’ scenario is never more apt here.