Great News on strength training....

Today's post: Thursday, 2-21-2008

As you probably already know, progressive strength training -- whether you do freehand exercises like pushups, use the machines at a gym, or lift dumbbells at home – will make you stronger.

And, if you’ve been reading our posts, you also know it helps you to lose fat & release growth hormone & testosterone. So you already know it makes you sexier & slows your rate of aging.

Since it’s a form of exercise -- & exercise has been shown to grow new brain cells -- it also helps keep your brain sharp & prevent mental decline as you get older.

A recent study suggests it does even more than this impressive list to benefit you !!

High homocysteine levels increase your rate of aging & are one of the stronger causes of cardiovascular diseases. That’s so true, research shows that if your homocysteine levels are well above 8.9, that’s a flashing red indicator your risk of heart attack, stroke, & age related mental decline from clogged blood vessels are all very high.

Worse, your homocysteine levels tend to go up with age. If you are over 40 or have ever been exposed to cigarette smoke or eat meat often, you have an excellent chance of having high homocysteine levels.

9.0 readings & up indicate serious risk. And, 12.0 & over readings are still quite common. If you haven’t had your homocysteine level tested, there’s an excellent chance your level is that high.

(Ideal for good health is 6.0 to 8.0 with 8.1 to 8.9 being almost OK.)

So anything safe you can do that helps lower high homocysteine levels is very, very protective of your health.

We’ve done posts on how not smoking & taking the right amounts of folic acid, B12,
B6, &, if still needed, taking NAC and TMG supplements -- will help you lower your homocysteine level if it’s 9.0 or over.

Here’s the news:

It seems strength training helps lower homocysteine -- in addition to its large list of other benefits !!

I found the article below in my Early to Rise email last week.:

(It appeared on Tuesday, 2-12-2008.)

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.


“Exercise as an Antioxidant

By Craig Ballantyne

When people talk about antioxidant-packed foods, they almost always think of vegetables and fruits, such as broccoli and berries.

However, researchers from the University of Virginia have shown that exercise can have a similar protective effect.

In the study, 49 older adults (aged 60-72) performed a 6-month resistance training program.

Some of the subjects were overweight, and some were normal weight. At the end of the program, researchers noted that exercise reduced levels of harmful free radicals and homocysteine in both groups.

Since homocysteine and free radicals have been associated with cardiovascular disease, the resistance training appeared to act as a protective factor against heart disease.

It’s easy to do resistance training at home. You can begin with bodyweight exercises or you can use resistance bands, dumbbells, or even kettlebells. Stick to multi-muscle movements like squats, rows, and presses, and you’ll get the maximum benefits in the minimum amount of time.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system.”

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Note that it doesn’t take a lot of time to get most of the benefits.

As little as 15 minutes a day at home every other day can help. So can going to the gym as little as a total of two evenings or week-end days a week with at least one day off in between.

I do both so if I miss at the gym occasionally, I can go back at close to full strength. The combination helps ensure I get my strength training in each week. And, it helps me be sure I’ll get the benefits.