Build Muscle to Reverse the Signs of Aging

By Al Sears, MD

One of my neighbors tells me he's 63 - but to look at him, you'd think he was at least 80. I can see nothing but bones and fat under his skin. He's so weak, he has trouble just walking to his mailbox. I'll bet he has no idea that a few simple exercises could have saved his muscle mass ... so I'm going to see if I can talk him into working out a few days a week.

Here's the problem: You lose about three pounds of muscle per decade. This creates a chain reaction that can leave you sick, weak, and physically incompetent.

You may not notice that you're losing muscle, because your body replaces it with fat. And you tend to forget how much you used to have. But it's important to monitor. Here's just a partial list of what muscle does for you:

. Supports your bones and protects you from osteoporosis

. Reduces your risk of osteoarthritis

. Aids in sexual health

. Promotes thyroid hormone production

. Maintains adrenal production

. Controls your metabolic rate

. Stimulates the production of human growth hormone

. Prevents chronic aches (like back pain)

. Returns blood to the lungs for oxygenation

Much of the fatigue and lack of energy you may feel during the day can be eliminated by working to build new muscle. And it's not as hard as it sounds. You don't have to lift weights. Calisthenics produces remarkable results. But to build muscle, you have to focus your efforts where the muscle is.

Since the biggest muscles in your body are in your thighs, here's one of my favorite muscle-building exercises: alternating lunges. With your hands on your hips, take a step forward with your right leg until your front knee is bent 90 degrees and your back knee almost touches the ground. Push off from your leading foot and return to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg.

This exercise will build strong legs and a strong back. It will even increase your lung capacity. (And as I told you Thursday, there's a strong link between lung capacity and longevity.) Try doing 10 alternating lunges in the morning when you get up. Rest a minute and do it again.
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Notes From Michael Masterson's Blog: New Internet Businesses - Bits and Pieces in the News

The Wall Street Journal reported on the fast rise of fantasy betting - a clever new business that offers gamblers a chance to play their favorite games in competition with other players for prizes.

In recent years, lots of these sorts of websites have sprung up, the WSJ said, including Faniq.com, NBX.com, Fanlete.com, Pickheads.com, and Wagerline.com. These sites "effectively allow U.S. consumers to engage in legal online gambling." The regular online gambling industry is said to be a $12 billion industry and growing.

Another interesting Internet "fantasy" phenomenon: Second Life, an online service that allows users to create a parallel world where their virtual selves can enjoy a better life. (This is pretty scary and exciting.)

And it's not just teenagers who are populating social networking sites (like YouTube and MySpace). Younger children are rushing to sites like Imbee.com and NeoPets.com, according to an article by Sue Shellenbarger.

"The under-16 sites pose few of the hazards linked to networking sites for older people," she said. "The activities range from chats and blogging to creating virtual pets or characters and acting out roles in virtual cities."

- Michael Masterson
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Word to the Wise: Captious

"Captious" (KAP-shus) - from the Latin for "to take, to seize" - describes an excessive tendency to find fault or raise objections.

Example (as used by M.R. James in The Haunted Dolls' House and Other Stories): "Mr Bowman had, I think, been keeping Christmas Eve, and was a little inclined to be captious: at least, he was not on foot very early, and to judge from what I could hear, neither men nor maids could do anything to please him."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1902, 12-02-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.