When Ponce de Leon discovered Florida in the early 1500’s, he was promised a “fountain of youth.” Still, in this modern era, we search for this magical aging remedy. But perhaps we are looking in the wrong direction. Yes,Florida is nice, especially in the winter, but let’s go a little deeper, to the INSIDE of each and every one of us. In fact, the key to anti-aging is locked away within something we already possess-our muscle cells!

Our muscle cells sustain our bodies throughout our lives. They provide strength, flexibility, energy, and the capacity to maintain a healthy weight, so that we may continue to function safely and effectively. When we are young, our muscle cells are healthy, toned, and well hydrated. As we age, however, we tend to neglect certain muscles that we once used as kids for running, jumping, swinging our arms and legs, and moving our spines in all directions. We tend to sit more, use our bodies in repetitive motion, leaving other muscles stagnant for long periods, and become tight and weak. Or we may even encounter injuries that have frightened us into immobility. Not a fun place to be!

According to the book “Aging Backwards” by Miranda Esmonde-White, we lose 8% of our muscle cells every decade, which means that by the age of 65, we have lost 25% of our muscle capacity! This loss of capacity can send us into a downward spiraling effect: compression on joints translating into joint pain, loss of energy, tight, stiff muscles, and perhaps, eventually, tears in muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

To understand how to age backward, we must first understand what happens to cells when they go unused. Muscle cells need nutrients and information via the nervous system to sustain themselves. If these nutrients and bits of information are not delivered to the muscle cells regularly, they begin to clump together and shrink like grapes left in the sun, turning into raisins. This process is known as muscle cell atrophy, and in some cases, if left unattended for too long, the muscle cells will die off. If muscle cells atrophy, they can cause imbalances in entire muscle groups and cause the muscles to shrink around the joints, bringing them closer together and preventing proper synovial fluid from lubricating them, leading to pain.

If the muscle cells shrink, the connective tissue called fascia (imagine Saran Wrap around the muscles) shrinks and becomes glued to the muscles, causing stiffness. This is what causes everyday type activities, such as getting out of a car or going up and down stairs, to become more difficult. If this fascia restricts movement, it takes much more energy to perform those motions. Imagine walking through the ocean against the current!

Another reason energy production is lost is that muscle cells also house essential mitochondria, which aid in energy production and weight management. If we do not optimize the number of working muscle cells in our bodies, we will not optimize fat burning and energy production. The body is inherently lazy. It will only keep what it needs “turned on” to create the movements that you perform daily. And if those movements are limited, your body could become stagnant and imbalanced, thus aging you more quickly.

The good news? You can reverse most of the atrophy and age backward, too! But to do this, it is important to move EVERY muscle, joint, and bone daily, using all 650 muscles! Ever heard the phrase: “Don’t use it, you’ll lose it”? This, we have discovered, holds a lot of weight. The key is safe rotation and movement in all joints, dynamic stretching and muscle strengthening, and plenty of healing circulation throughout the body. It is important to find a therapeutic fitness program that focuses on the entire body, not just segmented parts. Also, take breaks during the day when sitting or repetitive motion is required. Lift your arms above your head to gently raise up the ribcage, take a deep breath, lower your arms slowly, and feel the blood flow! The effects will amaze you!