Who wants to be soft, fat, uncomfortable and unattractive as we get older? It’s simply inevitable, right? Gratefully……NOT!
A recently published Harvard School of Public Health study looked at just that and concluded this isn’t the case. But there is a catch! It takes a bit of effort to prevent it! The 12 year study , published in the most recent publication of the journal Obesity, looked at over 10,000 men and the type of activities in which they engaged and two primary outcomes: abdominal fat accumulation and overall weight. Of significant interest was the fact that age related abdominal fat could be prevented significantly but that it required weight training to be most effective! Remarkably, aerobic activities (biking, swimming, treadmill, etc.) for the same duration everyday was less than HALF as effective at preventing belly fat development! Of equal interest, though, is the fact that aerobic activity actually was responsible for less overall weight gain! A healthy body composition is really the ideal…and as we age a fancy term called sarcopenia (the loss of skeletal muscle mass) happens if we aren’t physically active.
This specific study is the first of its kind which looked at healthy men over forty for an extended period of time and could demonstrate this verifiable finding. So what is the implication for you and me as we (hopefully!) have the privilege of getting older? For a better appearance, smaller waist size and better general appearance….weight training of SOME kind is essential. If one wishes to keep one’s body weight down but not affect the distribution of that weight around the body….aerobic activity is a must. Actually, if we wish to look better, appear and feel more vital, keep our weight down and diminish the risk of a veritable host of diseases…the only answer is BOTH moderate weight training activities and aerobic activity.
So let’s effect that supposed age-related weight gain and weakening and get into the ring….and give it the One-Two knock punch! It does not have to be!!
