Your Goal Should be Body Recomposition

Why Should You Focus on Body Recomposition:

1. Decrease Pain and Stiffness

2. Muscle Mass Protects Bone Density

3. Muscle burns Fat at Rest

4. Mobility and Flexibility 

1. Decrease Pain and Stiffness

Where does pain and stiffness come from? It comes from weakened muscles, inflexibility, a sedentary lifestyle, and pre-existing injuries that may be in the process of healing or never healed correctly. Strength training reduced inflammation over time, repairs muscle tissue after an injury, and improves mobility. We want to ensure our joints are loose and lubricated before doing any activities to reduce the risk of getting injured.

Chronic pain is often the result of a lack of activity. Many of us think that if we just rest our bodies after an injury that will heal it faster. The opposite is true. Movement encourages increased blood flow, increased oxygen absorption, and protects bones from losing density.

People who exercise regularly also recover from soreness quicker than those who don't incorporate much activity. Whenever you start a new program, it might take up to 2 weeks for your muscles to get used to moving again. The lactic acid buildup will cause delayed onset muscle soreness. As you get stronger, your soreness will decrease and you will benefit from the endorphins flooding your system.

2. Muscle Mass Protects Bone Density

Once you reach 40, your muscle mass naturally decreases by 1% a year. By the time you are 50, you have already lost 10% muscle mass just by living. Bone density is crucial to maintain because once you lose it, you can't get it back. Osteoporosis is a disease where the holes in bones start to widen which lead to stress fractures and breaks. 

Women have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis leading to osteopenia (low bone density) after menopause. They are more likely to fall and risk breaking an arm or wrist. But the condition affects men to a lesser degree as well.

Having higher bone density means a better posture so that you don't develop a pronounced curvature as gravity exerts pressure on your spine. For athletes, it also means stronger performance and protection from injury. 

3. Muscle burns Fat at Rest

The biggest advantage to increasing your muscle mass is that it burns calories at rest. It means shorter workouts when you focus on strength vs cardio alone. You only need 30 minutes of walking a day to keep your heart healthy.

But if you want to have exceptional health, you'll include weight training 3-4 times a week where you push to failure. Challenging your muscles and stressing your bones with regular activity helps them functioning optimally.

The issue with high intensity interval training (HIIT) is that you are not lifting to your max limits. You are getting great calorie burning because your heart is being challenged, but your muscles are fatiguing as a result. Over time, you can use HIIT to maintain your athletic performance because it emphasizes explosive power and conditioning, but it will not do anything to help you lose weight.

Progressive overload (lifting heavier over time and decreasing reps) will help shape and tone your muscles. The tone that you form is from body recomposition where fat mass is decreasing enough to show muscle definition.

4. Mobility and Flexibility 

Muscle mass helps us keep fit, but also mobile. When you are active, your joints get to experience different ranges of motion throughout various planes in space. Movement reduces swelling and pain in the joints. Lifting weights helps build muscles that support the joints to ensure that you are lubricated. Stretching and doing mind body exercises can be beneficial for relieving pain and muscle stiffness. This helps to improve performance in the gym where you can lift heavier when your muscles have had a chance to rest and recover.

Muscle Mass is Vital to Healthy Aging

Can you afford to keep pushing off building muscle any longer? The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get started. Think about what it costs you to not prioritize your health. Muscle soreness, stiffness, chronic pain, bone mineral density loss, and inability to move are not a great way to live. If you want to age healthy, you need to put muscle on your body. Focusing on body recomposition should be the priority.

But what does it take to build muscle the right way so that you can sustain and maintain your results? This is not something we learn about in school. Most people lack the proper education on healthy nutrition and fitness. We rely on social media to give us the information, but much of the information provided is misleading and not based in science. But the flashy reels and videos look legit, right?

Get advice from professionals who have worked with real people, real injuries, and gotten real results. Our trainers have education in movement science, injury rehabilitation, nutrition, sports, and motivating individuals to work on their goals. You don't need to go through this alone. We offer InBody scans to all our members as part of their package. For non-members, scans are available to purchase at $35.

Book a physical assessment for $47+gst to get a report on actionable steps you can take to hit your goals, please call/text us at 1-825-945-7733, or fill out the online contact form today!