Need to Build Strength? Just Say No!

I knew that headline would get some attention.  I am not writing about saying no to building
strength.  In fact, just the
opposite.  As I said last week HERE…it is
important we build strength over 50!  One
of the ways to do that is to say no to help in our everyday lives.
I come from a very polite society.  Young men are taught manners from a young age
and, actually, that is the way it should be.
I have doors opened for me most times I go out, and offers of “Can I
help you with that?” every time I go to the grocery.  And I am glad they do…I taught my sons to do
the same thing.
But, once I was instructed by a trainer how to properly lift
weight with my legs and not my back, then I needed to do the hard thing and
turn down the help.  Now I lift the water
bottles and boxes on my own…unless it is a very large weight I would be unwise
to do alone.  I am learning my limits and
not to risk injury taking on too much.
But, I build my own muscle outside of the gym by politely
answering, “No thank you.  I need to do
this.”  I cannot even remember the last
time I allowed a checkout assistant in the grocery to take my packages out for
me. It is the little things like lifting small weights in our everyday
lives…like parking far away from the destination and walking and pushing weight
in a cart….which make a difference.
I encourage you to just say no and tackle these challenges
yourself and start small…it does help with your health.  And it is a great way to tone up those arms
like we discussed yesterday.

 

Does anyone else do this?

Enjoy Your Day!

9 Comments

  1. I am always lifting, twisting, bending and sometimes the results wake me up in the morning! However, any exercise is better than no exercise because having a "blogger's butt" is no joke!

  2. Absolutely! My mom stopped lifting and pushing (including the vacuum) because of back pain. She ended up with osteoporosis and broke a bone in her back lifting a 6-pack of soda in the grocery store. Keep lifting!

  3. As we get older and of course taking genetics and overall health into account, the old back limits the sense ability of lifting heavy objects. However, I do agree with your post and think it wise to start these habits at an early age and keep it up as long as possible. At 72 I am happy to let someone else lift the water bundles higher than waist level.

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