Healthy aging includes investing in your muscles. Beside the positive gains of conquering the negative voice that short circuits all of your goals, it literally improves your brain. A few things that I have learned:

Your muscles are communicating with your brain. Those signals are important in order to move. Those signals improve the connections and plasticity of your brain. It rejuvenates and builds. It improves your cognitive abilities. You are able to focus, move with grace and strength, and even clean your brain!

Glucose. It’s energy. Your muscles use and release glucose. Your body creates glycogen. It stores glycogen in your muscles and liver for later use. If you want to lower your glucose and improve insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes, just go for a walk, dance or march in place. Start moving. ¹

Muscle predicts your longevity. I have always tried to stay fit and challenge my body. I have a pretty severe diagnosis of osteoporosis and broken bones. I have tried to increase my adaptive strength and balance so that I don’t fall. I also wanted to build bones. In the last year, I found out that your muscles are attached to your bones. The use of your muscles stimulates bone development. Broken bones and debilitating injuries can set you back so quickly. As we age, we lose muscle faster, especially for women. Your muscles tug on your bones! All of our body systems work together and need each other!

“So, when you do strength training to build muscle, you’re also building stronger bones, even if that’s not why you took up weight training in the first place.” ²

TODAY. What can you do today? I have been following a physiotherapist. I am choosing to take my exercise of getting up and out of my chair without using the armrests to the next level! I do 2-3 sets of ‘not’ sitting down but only touching the seat before I get up again. I have decided to do sets of 10 repetitions during the day. I work 40 hours a week and mostly sit at the computer. I’ve improved my ergonomic stress by changing the backrest and keyboard/mouse height. I think it’s improving my shoulder and wrist pain. Don’t forget to take a moment to breathe and relax your shoulders! ³

Add one thing to your routine today that will improve your muscles and get them communicating and regenerating! You might be amazed how this helps your focus and productivity, too!

Live well and create! Thrive and flourish!

If you find this kind of information and encouragement helpful, consider buying me a coffee! coff.ee/creativesenses172

1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23509-glycogen ↩︎
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-muscle-bone-connection#:~:text=So%2C%20when%20you%20do%20strength%20training%20to,up%20weight%20training%20in%20the%20first%20place. ↩︎
3. 15 Mistakes That Stop You Gaining Muscle After 50 – Will Harlow https://youtu.be/kq0K-GVFwNY?si=6U9IBs3Sqa4Va0SJ ↩︎

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