Lift for Life

I get the Oprah magazine. Mostly because I wish I was Oprah. But also because it's a good magazine.

This month's Dr. Oz column is interesting.

(Full disclosure: I'm not exactly a huge fan of Oz or Phil or the Doctors or other advice celebrities because I think once they become famous for giving advice, the advice they give changes because it has to meet marketing requirements ... and that makes me suspect.)

In any case, his point was that strength training is very important. Every bit as important as cardio. And that swapping out a couple of days a week, strength for cardio, won't hamper weight loss efforts. In fact, it might enhance it.

A few fast facts:

A pound of muscle burns about six calories per day, while a pound of fat burns only two. So more muscle "speeds up" your metabolism.

When you turn 40, you start to lose a half-pound of muscle a year and it's usually replaced with fat. Strength training can prevent that loss and the related weight gain.

More muscle burns more fat, like belly and under-the-skin fat. In fact a new study says that bursts of high-intensity strength training might even burn more fat than a steady-state exercise like jogging. (You mean I don't HAVE to train for a marathon to lose weight? Hot damn!)

And, last but not least, strength training reduces arthritis pain, strengthens your bones, keeps your brain sharp and helps control blood sugar.

He also suggests adding two 30-minute strength-building sessions to your workout regiment per week. You can lift hand weights, do planks, butt lifts, squats, lunges, push ups (with or without an exercise ball) ... anything that involves some resistance.

This news thrilled me. I think strength training might be one of the secret weapons for my weight maintenance. In fact, I might take two days a week to do nothing but strength for a while and see how that goes.

My knees are very happy.