One obvious sign of aging is an increase in the fat layer. Starting at about age 35, woman gain an average of a pound-and-a-half of fat each year! Why do we get fat? Fat tends to move in because muscle moves out. After age 35, we lose half-a-pound of muscle per year! Muscle is an extremely active, hungry tissue: one pound of muscle burns 35 calories a day–just to stay alive. Muscle never sleeps; even while you watch TV or take a nap, your muscles are burning calories! Lose muscle, and you burn fewer calories–which are then stored as fat. Fat really is “dead weight”: A pound of fat burns just two calories a day.

Women should be encouraged to maintain physical activity, even if there are some limitations (such as arthritis). Australia’s national physical activity guidelines recommend that adults accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity (e.g., moderatepaced walking) on most but preferably all days of the week. Yes, aerobic exercise does burn calories and causes fat loss. It also strengthens the heart muscle. (Very good!) But aerobics has a dirty little secret: In the rest of your body, aerobics causes muscle loss! In other words, aerobics ages your muscle system!

A two month study of stationary bicyclers revealed that the subjects lost three pounds of fat, but also had a half-pound of muscle loss! With two months of hard work, they aged their muscle systems a full year! (And they did it at six times the normal rate of muscle loss from aging!).

Well, at Blue Tiger Martial Arts Academy our programs are designed to provide great Aerobic, Anaerobic and muscle toning workouts. We use a combination of resistance training, bag work, patterns, speed drills and defence work to achieve overall fitness and toning whilst having fun.

Come along to one of our classes in Battenburg Avenue, Copnor, Portsmouth and just ask our Students and Instructors how the Academy has helped them.