Welcome to this edition of Health Breaks News! 

Over the past month, we have enjoyed some welcome bursts of Spring heat, enough to light the spark of motivation to coax us out into the sunlight and get moving again.

This month we are focusing on strength training. No need to buy an expensive gym membership or break a sweat bench pressing, we can gain great value in completing short bursts of focused strength training, even using our own body weight!

As we age, we lose lean muscle mass on a gradual basis. From age 30, we may lose 3% to 5% of muscle mass per decade. There are several factors that cause this, including hormonal – a reduction in testosterone production – as well as reduced use as our participation in sport and activities requiring heavy lifting decline as we age.

Strength training exercises that use large muscle groups are encouraged as a sustainable and accessible solution to reduce lean muscle loss. We can achieve this by performing even 5-10 minutes of regular strength exercises. Think squats, push-ups, core exercises and anything that involves us leaping, jumping or bounding.

On top of making us feel great, improved muscle mass can lead to reduced falls and increased metabolism, beneficial for weight management.

Here are 2 fantastic short and sharp options for you to try. 

Set yourself a personal challenge this month and try one or the other for a daily strength routine.