There are many benefits of building and maintaining your muscles. Although there is an emphasis on skeletal muscle, don't forget there is also smooth muscle in your organs, and your heart is made of cardiac muscle.

Weight training plus aerobics.

In a representative study of the evidence, researchers at McMaster University USA compared a ten week programme of weight training plus aerobic exercise against aerobic exercise alone.
* The aerobic group showed only a 2% increase in cardiovascular capacity and an 11% increase in endurance.
* The weight training plus aerobics group showed a 15% increase in cardiovascular capacity and a massive 109% increase in endurance.

For strength the results favoured weight training even more.
* The aerobics group showed no increase in arm or leg strength.
* The weight training group showed a 43% increase in arm strength and a 22% increase in leg strength.

It is intresting to note that muscles are controlled by nerves, and the electrical stimulation of nerves and contraction of muscles are the result of the exchange of electrolyte minerals dissolved in water. It is essential that you drink water for health and muscle building, as without enough water your muscles are not getting enough electrolytes.

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

Joseph Addison 1672-1719

Soothing the nervous system using Meditation.

Resting the mind has a dramatic effect on brain activity. When the brain moves into an alpha wave state, many physiological changes occur, starting with the autonomic nervous system.

One of the main roles of the autonomic nervous system is to regulate glands and organs without any effort from our conscious minds. The autonomic nervous system is made up of two parts, called the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.

These systems act in opposite yet complementary ways:
the sympathetic nervous system ‘revs’ the body, while the parasympathetic calms it down. Chronic stress or burnout can occur when the sympathetic nervous system dominates for too long.

During an alpha wave state, the parasympathetic half of the autonomic nervous system comes to the fore. This results in lowered blood pressure and heart rate, a reduction in stress hormones and slowed metabolism.

If meditation is practised regularly, these beneficial changes become relatively permanent.

Research combining current technological innovations (magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI) and the talents of long-term meditators has revealed marked changes in both brain function and structure. Finding evidence of these types of changes adds Western scientific validation to many of the claims made by advanced meditators for centuries.

In my reading I found an article by Tom Monte about how to fight the effects of aging on the body, so I thought I'd share the main points with you.

"You have the power to control how much and how fast the aging process works on your body. You can even reverse some of the damage that has already been done," says Tom Monte, author of many health and wellness books, including "Staying Young: How To Prevent, Slow or Reverse More than 60 Signs of Aging."

The aging process is caused by oxidation, the breakdown of cells and tissues as they mingle with oxygen. "It's just like the rust in a car," Mr. Monte says.

You can fight that process by adopting healthful lifestyle habits that:
* Help your immune system fight disease.
* Build up reserves of lean muscle mass.
* Prevent or slow degenerative changes.
* Rebuild damaged tissue and restore lost function.

Help yourself

Anti-aging strategies can add to the quality of your life and health no matter how old you are, Mr. Monte says. Studies have found people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who start strength-training programs gain increased protection from injury.

Here are Mr. Monte's top 12 strategies for staying younger, longer:

1. Don't smoke. Each puff hastens aging's degenerative processes. Plus, smoking lowers your aerobic capacity, making it harder for you to do the things you enjoy and making you feel old before your time.

2. Eat foods rich in antioxidants. Vitamins A, C and E fight free-radical formation, the oxidation process that damages tissues. Eating 5½ cups of fruits and vegetables daily will help you get enough of these vitamins. Among the best sources are broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers and other red, yellow and green vegetables.

3. Eat lots of fiber. Dietary fiber found in beans, broccoli, bran and other complex carbohydrates helps lower cholesterol, aids digestion and defends against some kinds of cancers.

4. Maintain healthful cholesterol levels. Keep your total cholesterol level below 200 and your percentage of protective HDL cholesterol high. Following a diet that limits your fat intake to 30 percent or less of your total calories will help. Maintaining a healthful weight also is beneficial.

5. Exercise regularly. Age robs you of aerobic capacity. Performing 30 minutes of moderate activity three to four times a week can help you retain your capacity.

6. Build strength. As you age, you lose muscle mass; this weighs you down and reduces your ability to burn calories efficiently. Regular strength training can help reverse this trend.

I'll finish off with the next 6 strategies tomorrow.