The Best and Cheapest Anti-Aging Technique Is... (March)

“What is the best, cost-effective anti-aging technique?”

My grandmother lived to be 95 and was still sharp as a tack. But, like a lot of older folks, she started having serious trouble walking because her muscles were weak. Science says there’s a way to prevent that issue…

Bodybuilding.

First off, bodybuilding doesn’t necessarily mean heavy steroid use and looking like the Michelin Man.

Merriam-Webster defines bodybuilding as the development of the body through exercise and diet.

Technically, if you go to the gym for the sake of improving your body, then you’re bodybuilding.

Now that we got that out of the way, on to my favorite part, the science.

Why do older people have trouble walking and, in more severe cases, begin to fall because their bodies are too weak?

The older you get, the more muscle you lose.

It’s called sarcopenia. According to one study,

Sarcopenia, or the decline of skeletal muscle tissue with age, is one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults

Sarcopenia happens to a LOT of people. 10% – 16% of the elderly worldwide. Sarcopenia is associated with a high risk of a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Physical inactivity, malnutrition, smoking, extreme sleep duration, and diabetes are related to sarcopenia

It happened to my grandmother, who has to have help going to the bathroom at this point.

Sarcopenia even happened to my Father in his mid 60s. He retired early and wasn’t using his muscles like he used to. He can’t walk very far because muscle fatigue hits him so quickly.

Is there a way to prevent it?

Bodybuilding. Or weight lifting. Or resistance training.

Whatever you want to call it, picking up weights and moving them a few dozen times will prevent, and even reverse Sarcopenia.

• One research review looked at 33 studies and found that lifting heavy weights 3–4 times per week was extremely good at improving muscle function.

  • The researchers even stated that the benefits of lifting weights were even greater for older people.

• Another study found that older people, because of Sarcopenia, were more likely to become obese. Because they were more likely to become obese, they were also more likely to develop life-threatening disease.

  • The researchers said, “Exercise represents the safest, least expensive means to lose body fat, decrease blood pressure, improve glucose tolerance, and maintain long-term independence.”

• Another paper found that people lose satellite cells as they age. Satellite cells are responsible for the development of new muscle tissue. Weight lifting helps the development of new satellite cells.

  • At the cellular level, weight lifting prevents sarcopenia.

So if you want to be able to walk when you’re 70 years old, get a gym membership.