HEALTHY LIVING
Quickest Way to Get Stronger and Younger
Building muscle is key — and it takes less time than you think. :: BY VERA TWEED
L
oss of muscle and strength isn’t a popular topic of conversation among adults, but it’s a
major reason for accelerated aging and premature death. The good news is it can be
prevented with the right type of exercise — and it takes less time than you might think. Without the right type of physical
activity, adults lose between 3% and 8% of muscle per decade after the age of 30. The loss leads to a slower metabolism, fat gain, and increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic ills. Strength training can lower blood
pressure, blood sugar, and harmful cholesterol; reduce back pain; ease arthritis; enhance mental function; and lower health risks across the board.
82 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | AUGUST 2025 But there’s a false notion that
building muscle requires hours and hours of exercise every week, so many people don’t even try. “Undertaking any amount of
resistance training, going from zero to a few minutes per week, is already associated with a meaningful reduction in the risk for all-cause mortality,” says Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis, Ph.D., aka “Dr. Pak,” an exercise scientist who is a visiting scholar at the Applied Muscle Development Lab at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York. One study he coauthored analyzed
data on more than 14,000 middle- aged men and women who followed a structured weight-lifting program of 20 minutes per week for over six years. In the program, run by a gym
franchise in the Netherlands, each workout consisted of intense weightlifting that worked all the major muscle groups, using weight machines typically found in any health club. Gym members’ strength increased by about 50% during the first two
years, and up to 60% by the sixth year. This has a significant impact on health and lifespan. A study led by North Dakota State
University in Fargo examined the link between muscle strength and early death in a group of 14,178 American men and women who were at least 50 years old. Researchers tested grip strength —
how hard you can squeeze something with your hand — which is a measure of muscle strength in the rest of the body. And they tracked participants for 12 years. The study found that those with the
weakest muscles were up to 84% more likely to die sooner from any cause. The same group of researchers also
found that more than half of American adults over age 50 have weak muscles that increase their risks for chronic diseases and an earlier death. While a 20-minute weight-training
workout will produce significant benefits, more gains are available. “At around 60 minutes per week, that’s where you seem to be getting the
COUPLE/HARBUCKS©ISTOCK
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