How Important is Strength?

Just how important is your strength?  Very important if you don't want to die an early death.

According to a study in the British Medical Journal, body strength correlated inversely with the age of death.
This study followed 8700 people over 18 years.  When they took out age considerations what they found was pretty surprising.

And very motivating. 

No matter what age group, the stongest people lived longer.  It did not even matter what their lifestyle was. 

If they smoked, the stronger people lived longer.
If they drank, the stronger people lived longer.
If they did cardio every day, the stronger people lived longer.
If they had medical conditions, the stronger people lived longer.
If they had a family history of whatever, the stronger people lived longer. 

I would say that is a pretty good pattern. 

Now can you imagine that if you lived a healthy lifestyle and were strong, how much longer you would live.  And how much better your life would be well into "old" age.  Jack LaLanne is proof positive. 

If you go back and read the last two posts on this blog you see that most people that go to the gym don't really try to get stronger.  Most just try to maintain. 

And as was pointed out, just maintaining is really regressing.  Your body adapts and needs continual stimulus to improve and to grow stronger. 

So take this mantra to the gym from now on:  I am going to get stronger today. 

Add an extra few reps.
Add an extra set.
Add a few extra pounds.
Take less rest time between sets. 

Do those four things and your will start getting stronger again.  You don't have to do them all at once, but just keep making progress.  And you will live longer.

Thanks,

Mike Val

To see the full article click here:  body strength overcomes lifestyle