Walk the Labyrinth as part of your Lenten Practice

Weather permitting, we will have our outdoor labyrinth in the courtyard surrounded in candle light with music on Wednesdays, April 6 and 13 from 5:00-7:45 PM. Plan some time for a prayerful walk.

Why We Gain Weight as We Age: Our muscles shrink and our bodies store more calories as fat.

But the good news is, exercise can help.

I brought this up around the lunch table one day and people quickly changed the subject! Could it be that they were all eating cake? I am hoping you will read on because I found this fasinating!

As we age, our muscle mass decreases at surprising rates. According to Dr. David Heber, director of UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition, an average male who weights 180 pounds might after age 60 lose as much as 10 pounds of muscle mass over a decade. But can we turn that around? Heber says absolutely!

In fact, new research published in the journal Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise finds older adults who begin lifting weights after 50 may win the battle against age-related muscle loss.

When you stretch a muscle to the point of straining it, as is the goal during weight lifting, you set in motion the body's natural muscle-building response. The muscle has to adapt to the damage and build itself up to be prepared for the next weightlifting assault. In this way, muscles build fiber and actually increase in size.

Exercise physiologist and researcher Mark Peterson analyzed 39 studies and found that among more than 1,300 adults over the age of 50, muscle mass could be increased by an average of nearly 2.5 pounds in just five months.

Muscle strength and balance help prevent falls, one of the most common reasons seniors end up in the hospital. For sedentary adults who resolve to take up weight lifting, Peterson suggests starting slowly.

Might I suggest you begin with the Growing Stronger class offered here at Gloria Dei on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00-10:15 AM? We are currently in the middle of a session but are accepting new participants. For more information, email Mary Jo at mjhallberg@gloriadeistpaul.org.

Summer Session begins in mid June on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 AM.

I can honestly say that I have become much stronger myself and I have watched our participants gain in strength, flexibility and stamina. And not only that, we have lots of fun! Won’t you join us in Growing Stronger?