Certain images come to mind when most people think about muscle-building exercises. They think about the kind of insane, limit-pushing bodybuilding that seems pretty unrealistic for most people. Not only are the end results often so gobsmacking (we have a hard time imagining ourselves with quite that much muscle!), but the time you have to put into achieving a body like that is also pretty amazing.

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This creates this kind of reluctance to do any kind of work on your muscles. After all, what’s the point of lifting weights if you’re not looking to get absolutely ripped at some point? Basically, the whole thing starts to feel like a life-consuming pursuit, as opposed to something people might do to actually improve their health and confidence.

Make no mistake: everyone should work on gaining some muscle as well as improving on the muscle they already have. This doesn’t mean that everyone should be aiming to look like Iris Kyle or Phil Heath. It’s not all about the looks of those muscles you’re developing. It’s about much more than that.

It strengthens your bones

Here’s a scary reminder that, as your grow older, you begin to lose bone mass. Ever wonder why broken hips (though exaggerated in frequency) is so often linked to older people? It’s because their bones are much weaker than that of a younger person. It also contributes greatly to the bad posture that you often notice among the elderly.

Developing your muscles helps strengthen and protect your bones. Simply put, working on your muscles will help prevent a lot of the unpleasant body changes associated with aging! Find out more at https://www.fightaging.org.

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More muscle means a longer, healthier life

Studies have shown a strong correlation between the amount of muscle an older person has and their risk of death. The more you have, the less your risk of death. While a cause-and-effect relationship isn’t direct, there are a number of things that make the causes of reduced risk clear.

Developing your muscles is one of the best ways to relieve stress - something that is a very common killer. It also keeps your cardiovascular system healthy, which, as I’m sure you can imagine, is particularly important here. And if this inspires you to get really serious about putting on muscle, then you should consider some really intense goals for yourself. You can find out more at http://aretheyonsteroids.com.

It helps fight fatigue

When you get your muscles used to activity that strengthens them, then it becomes easier your body to handle pretty much any task. And I’m not just talking about the tasks that are usually associated with brute strength, such as heavy lifting. I’m not even only talking about activities such as bending or stretching that many people have to do several times a day.

I mean things like a simple walk, or climbing a flight of stairs. Things most people do every day. These activities, accreted throughout the day, contribute to your overall fatigue. When your body is stronger, your body won’t be so affected. Read more about how exercise helps reduce fatigue over at http://www.webmd.com.