Why do we want to build muscle, and how much time is required to make a difference?
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Muscle growth will improve your metabolism, optimize body composition, and make everyday tasks easier.
As we age, our fitness goals often shift from wanting to look a certain way to spending quality time with those we love and staving off illness and injury as we age.
Menopause can further complicate matters, as the decline in estrogen can lead to:
increased risk of cardiovascular disease
loss of muscle mass
loss of bone density
changes in body composition
increased inflammatory markers
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be an option, exercise, specifically resistance training, is gaining traction as an effective modality to prevent and have a beneficial impact on the effects of menopause.
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis, which collates and analyzes several studies on a specific theme, provided the most substantial evidence yet that resistance training can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer-specific mortality.
Performing any amount of resistance training versus performing none at all lowers the risk of all-cause fatalities by 15%, cardiovascular disease by 19%, and cancer-specific mortality by 14%.
Adults should aim to:
Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up periods of not moving with some activity.
Do strength training activities that work all of the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) at least two days a week.
Do at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week.
Spread exercise evenly over four to five days a week or daily.
A study analyzing the effect of one year of resistance training in postmenopausal women, with and without HRT, found that 60 to 75 minutes across three days per week effectively improved body composition, strengthened strength, and reduced muscle and bone loss independent of HRT.
At ZoYoga Fitness, you can choose from a range of training programs that will help you build strength, improve fitness, and support long-term health.
If you are not a current member, please sign up for our Free Friends and Family event. You can learn more here.
If you ARE a current member, please invite someone you know to join us for this free event. You can send them this link:
We are also looking forward to our Body Recomp program this Summer. Learn more here.
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