fbpx

Elevated Fitness Mom Strong

Mom Strong: Find Your Strength, Enhance Your Happiness

Happy Mother’s Day to All Moms – Yes, Even Pet Moms!

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate all types of strong moms – those with children and those with beloved pets. Motherhood, in all its forms, comes with immense joy and, sometimes, challenging self-doubt. Today, let’s address the undue pressure media and moms often place on themselves to be skinny and explore why being strong is infinitely better than being skinny.

The Scale Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

Moms, it’s time to shift our focus. Instead of fixating on the number on the scale, let’s consider what makes up that weight. Your body is a unique blend of muscle mass, bone density, water, and fat – each element playing a crucial role in your overall health. Weight doesn’t really mean a whole lot. Seriously. Because of our hormonal fluctuation, our weight can change as much as 10 pounds from morning to evening. As long as you feel healthy, feel strong, your clothes fit the same and you’re kicking all the asses, Who gives a rat’s ass what the number on the scale says? If you wanna know more about what I mean by body composition, check this out.

Understanding Sarcopenia: It Affects More Women Than You Think

Sarcopenia – the loss of muscle mass – is a condition that affects women as they age. Muscle mass typically decreases by 3–8% per decade after age 30, and at an even higher rate after age 60. Without load-bearing exercise (strength training), people can lose up to 30% of their muscle mass between ages 50 and 70! This natural decline in muscle mass impacts your strength and overall vitality. If your goal is to look “toned”, that means muscle mass. If you want to be a badass rather than a fatass, that means muscle mass. If you wanna kick all the asses in your later years, that means muscle mass. You can find out more about sarcopenia and its impacts here.

The Pillars of Strength: Hormones, Sleep, and Exercise

Women’s strength is influenced by various factors, including diet, exercise, hormonal balances, sleep quality, and overall activity level. When I say “diet”, I mean prioritizing protein and avoiding processed food and sugar. When I say “exercise”, I’m talking carrying heavy shit from one spot to another. Strength training and load-bearing exercises are vital. I know, as women, we’ve been told all our lives, “do more cardio”. Cardio is fine as a warmup or cooldown after strength training, but it ain’t gonna do much for much for hormones, fat loss and muscle gain. If you wanna look and feel lean, Metabolic Resistance Training (lifting fast – like we do at Elevated Fitness) is going to be your fastest route to get there. Metabolic Resistance Training increases mitochondrial function, burns fat and tears down and rebuilds muscle, which is essential for maintaining strength and bone density. Here’s a YouTube video I did on the Fat Loss Ladder and Hierarchy of Fat Loss. And you can read about optimizing hormones and sleep for better health here and here.

The Longevity Connection: Muscle and Bone Mass

Higher levels of muscle and bone mass are not just about strength; they’re closely linked to longevity and lower mortality rates. The stronger your body, the more capable it is of preventing injuries and fighting off diseases. Gain deeper insights into how strength affects longevity here.

Top 10 Ways to Enhance Longevity and Vitality

  1. Metabolic Resistance Training: Lift weights with short rest periods.
  2. Focus on Protein: For women: MINIMUM 100g protein daily. For men: MINIMUM 150g protein daily.
  3. Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 8-9 hours per night. Tips for better sleep can be found here.
  4. Manage Stress: Engage in activities that reduce stress, like box breathing, yoga or meditation.
  5. Calcium and Vitamin D: Essential for bone health, get these from foods or supplements. Find out more here.
  6. Regular Check-ups: Keep tabs on hormone levels and bone density. We now have on-site hair analysis testing to check for deficiencies and toxicity.
  7. Stay Hydrated: Water is crucial for every cellular function. You need (on average) half your body weight in ounces of water daily.
  8. Healthy Fats: Avoid Frankenfats and seed oils. Get more Omega-3’s. Here’s a list of healthy Omega-3 sources.
  9. Avoid Smoking and Alcohol: Both can deteriorate muscle and bone health.
  10. Stay Consistent: Regularity is key in exercise and healthy habits.

In Conclusion

This Mother’s Day, let’s commit to being strong for ourselves and our loved ones. Strength goes beyond physical capacity; it’s about enhancing your health and happiness for a lifetime. Remember, every step you take towards strength today is a step towards a healthier tomorrow. Plus, you have the added benefit of being the example for your kids!