Mom, is it bad to say you have ‘big arms?’
On our Memorial Day getaway, I’m kayaking with my 15 year old son on a secluded section of a lake. Wonderful, sunny, peaceful afternoon… he paddles up next to me to ask me this question;
“Mom, is it bad to say you have ‘big arms’?”
My immediate reaction was to chuckle. Of all the questions your 15 year old son could ask, this was an easier one, though not a simple one to answer.
I am not a small person. No one in my family could be called petite…well, one grandmother was short in height, but not small in stature, or personality, though that’s another story. Growing up I was often teased for having muscular legs and a big butt. I would not say I look like a body builder or a lumber jack, but my arms and shoulders don’t fit into narrow-sleeved tops, even with a bit of Lycra. Most of my life, especially in my teens and 20’s I wished I was smaller. So if my son were asking me this question 20-30 years ago my answer would have been,YES!
Not today though. My answer to him was;
“Nope. I work hard to be strong and I’m proud of my ‘guns’!”
Then, we had a chat about the importance of muscle, especially as we age…and I did touch on the fact that he probably should not make that comment to any girls his age.
There are numerous benefits to having muscle and being strong and I’ll touch on a few here.
Muscle is metabolically active.
Muscle uses glucose or blood sugar for energy while it’s ‘working’ and ‘repairing’ and stores some when at rest. This helps to lower circulating blood sugar which can damage blood vessels and organs, and keep it from being converted to fat by the liver.
Building muscle through resistance training increases insulin sensitivity (the OPPOSITE of insulin resistance which leads to diabetes).
The stronger & healthier your muscles are, the better you can tolerate carbohydrates.
Muscle improves longevity & vitality.
Muscle mass and strength decline as we age - starting in our 30s!! This process is called sarcopenia, muscle loss with aging. Muscle loss is directly linked to the higher prevalence of falls, which often land the frail & elderly in the hospital, which they never leave.
You can maintain and even build muscle as you age which drastically decreases the risk of falls and related hospitalizations.
Healthy muscle increases your ability to survive and recover from illness or injury.
Personally - I want to be able to live a vibrant and active life as I age. I WILL NOT, be limited by my physical abilities. Muscle is the key to that.
Muscle improves immune, cardio-vascular, lung, lymphatic and endocrine (hormone) function.
Exercise and resistance training reduce blood pressure and improve the efficiency of your heart and lungs.
The act of muscle contraction pumps to move and drain lymphatic fluid which carries immune cells and filtered toxins through the body.
Improves sleep and stress response (hello, endorphins!) which protect the immune system.
Resistance training supports healthy Testosterone levels - it’s not just for the guys! Ladies need it, too. I recently heard ‘T’ described as the ‘G.S.D’ or get ‘stuff’ done hormone!
Does my 15 year old care about all of this? Nope. Let’s be honest, he cares about the things that effect him. In our discussion I focused on wanting to stay strong to be able to lift, load, strap, unload and carry my kayak on and off our roof rack, BY MYSELF. On being able to hike and travel and explore which are the types of adventurous vacations we enjoy. On being able to share our love for active adventures with his kids. He has seen frailty our family and friends and the impact and limitations that has had on their quality of life. We talked about these situations specifically and how the choices I make and work I put in to maintain my ‘big arms’ are an investment in my short and long term health. These choices are all part of the lifestyle I am defining for myself, and modeling for him and his sister, of middle-age and beyond.
I do believe I’ve gotten wiser with age, but also stronger in mind and convictions. My message and hope for you is that you, too refuse to accept these conventional stereotypes of what ‘happens as we age’:
We are supposed to become softer, fluffier, weaker, less able or agile.
We are predestined to the ‘Standard American Diseases’ of obesity/low lean mass/high body fat, pre-diabetes/diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and so on.
We adopt a more sedentary lifestyle, even vacationing more on our butt than on our feet.
I also ask you to consider how you view the body you are given or have earned.
Live to embrace and celebrate the body you have, what it can do and what you can do for it rather than lamenting what it does not look like. I wasted WAY TOO MANY years in that negative mindset.
I commit to myself and future generations of these sturdy genes to celebrate these ‘big arms’!
Ready to work on your fitness, strength or flexibility? Not sure where to start? Jen can help you!
Head to the Contact page to reach out. Discovery calls are free and just 10-15 minutes of your time.