Legendary investor Warren Buffet is well known for helping people understand finances. Despite the complexity of financial systems, investing in yourself is a concept everyone understands. The most fundamental truth about investing is we should always be doing it! Using your time and energy to build a healthy future makes sense. Yet, some Americans are moving in the wrong direction – living lifestyles that increase reliance on drug therapy and surgery. Despite significant advances, modern medicine cannot offset the damaging effects of an unhealthy lifestyle (i.e., a lack of exercise, poor eating habits, etc.). To improve the nation's health, the Surgeon General has urged all Americans to make exercise a priority! Dr. Steven Blair at the University of South Carolina states, "As a treatment for chronic disease, exercise produces significantly better results than drug therapy or surgery – yet costs much less. In other words, Strength Training can improve your quality of life while saving you money. Here's what informed investors should know about Strength Training to live their best.
In 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the first edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines served as a call to action recommending all adults add Strength Training to their lifestyle. The second edition published ten years later [1], states that Strength Training in older adults is essential because they are the least active of any group. They recommend full-body Strength Training (training the major muscle groups) because it provides additional health benefits beyond conventional physical activity (walking, biking, running, etc.). Two years later, the World Health Organization published its updated Physical Activity Guidelines in a special edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The guidelines highlight the importance of Strength Training across all age groups, including older adults and people living with chronic conditions (i.e., heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis, arthritis, etc.).[2] According to Emmanuel Stamatakis, co-author and professor at the University of Sydney, "There is a specific recommendation on Strength Training because it is clear it has benefits that are over and above those of aerobic physical activity." Despite solid recommendations, surveys show as little as six percent of U.S. adults participate in Strength Training.[3] Saying no to Strength Training is equivalent to wasting time and money, given most Americans suffer from conditions made worse by not Strength Training (i.e., heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, low back pain, poor balance, etc.)[4]
Even if you choose to Strength Train, many things can and do go wrong (i.e., training load, repetition duration, exercise order, range of motion, machine settings, progression, etc.) in the average workout! Walk into most fitness centers, and few adults are Strength Training productively. To improve compliance with Strength Training guidelines, scientists have begun studying the effects of supervised Strength Training on health outcomes. A landmark study published in BioMed Research International measured the effectiveness of supervised Strength Training against unsupervised Strength Training.[5] Researchers reported that supervised high-intensity Strength Training is well tolerated and effectively improves strength, body composition, function, and well-being in older adults. In contrast, unsupervised strength training provided no benefits. The study's authors attribute the lack of benefits to the reduced effort common in unsupervised workouts.
A recent meta-analysis and systematic review published in the International Journal of Strength and Conditioning sheds light on the importance of supervision in Strength Training programs.[6] According to the authors, supervision in Strength Training research may account for some of the benefits often seen in studies. They also report that supervision is undervalued in research and likely enhances effort, a key factor for stimulating muscle growth and strength gains. Supervision is also essential for accurate monitoring and program adherence. The technical coaching that supervision provides may prevent injuries and provides encouragement and psychological support, thereby providing a positive experience.[6] Despite the benefits of supervised Strength Training, we're facing a turning point as a country. A lack of Strength Training threatens our independence and financial stability due to the increasing cost of treating sarcopenia (muscle loss). Given the stakes, investing less than 1-hour per week in Supervised Strength Training is quite possibly the best investment you can make!
If you or someone you know is interested in a Free Trial Workout, please send them our way! Send your inquiries HERE to schedule a Free Trial Workout and start living your best life.
Stay Strong,
Richard J. Wolff, RDN
References
1. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
2. World Health Organization Guidelines for Physical Activity 2020.
https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789240015128
3. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2013;84:30-8.
4. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Volume 4. Number 4. July/August 2010.
5. BioMed Research International. Volume 2017, Article ID 2541090, 14 pages.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/254109
6. The Role of Supervision in Resistance Training; An Exploratory Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/101