FITNESS MAGAZINE,MARCH 2007

“ YOU WILL FEEL YOUNGER AFTER A TOUGH WORKOUT”

Yet another perk of weight training; it can slow the effects of aging. “ When you challenge your strength, balance and coordination simultaneously, you force the nervous and muscular systems to better communicate and the brain to form new neural connections that will improve your motor function and body awareness,” says trainer Michael Gonzalez-Wallace.

In fact Gonzalez-Wallace has developed a new fitness program, Neuromuscular Progressive Strength Training program (NMPST), based on this theory. So does your average workout count? Sorry, but a run-of-the-mill cardio or resistance routine (e.g. watching friends while spinning) probably wont engage your brain to reap the antiaging benefits.

“The more difficult the movement is, the more activity in the brain, and the more you’ll benefit from it” says John Martin, PhD., a professor of clinical neurobiology and behavior at Columbia University.

Chee Gates

Writer

Fitness Magazine