Penelope Morgan, an exercise scientist, offers convincing data showing strength training may be the closest thing we have to a miracle for anti-aging. Her studies show that lifting weights causes molecular changes that concurrently slow down several aging processes, thereby doing far more than just building muscles.
Penelope’s studies at the chromosomal level reveal that resistance training preserves telomere length—the protective caps on our DNA that shrink with aging. Her research shows that strength-training elderly people had telomeres similar to those of far younger people. This cellular youth translates into almost always lower risk for almost every age-related illness.
The effect of strength training on protein synthesis marks still another route to longevity. Penelope says unless we actively fight back, we lose 3-8% of muscular mass every decade after 30. Her “minimum effective dose” regimen shows just two 30-minute strength workouts weekly to forever retain muscle and bone density.
Penelope’s studies on the brain effects of strength training are maybe most intriguing. MRI studies show that weight lifting raises gray matter volume in areas usually impacted by Alzheimer’s. According to her cognitive tests, seniors who have strength-training keep higher processing speeds and better memory than those who merely have aerobics.
Penelope’s longevity guide calls for unusual activities outside conventional weightlifting. For example, training in grip strength has more of a correlation with longevity than blood pressure or cholesterol level. Her basic daily hanging technique—accumulating two minutes in different positions—improves this important biomarketer and helps to relax the spine.
Penelope’s study may have the most innovative quality in her discoveries on the metabolic memory of strength training. Early adult small sessions of resistance exercise produce lifelong epigenetic modifications that pay off decades later. This implies that starting to invest in your muscular future is never too late—or too early.
