A: This is a very good question and one that deserves a great deal of attention. When we strength train, we build muscle. Muscle allows us not only to move, but also helps to maintain many other functions of our body.
Muscle helps to prevent bone loss. When muscles contract (flex), the tendons connecting muscle to bone helps to strengthen the bone it is attached to. In fact, strength training has been shown to increase bone mineral density in post-menopausal women. This is turn, prevents bone fractures. As you are aware, we not only lose muscle mass, but we also lose bone mass at a significant rate as we age.
Muscle increases are metabolic rate. Muscle is our fat burning furnace…the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. As we lose muscle mass, our metabolic rate slows considerably. It is for this reason, that so many individuals gain weight as they age, despite the fact that their calorie consumption has not changed.
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