6 Friday, October 11, 2024brooklintowncrier.com There have been many recent articles discussing how walking improves overall health and wellness. It's time we take it a step further to incorporate a better understanding on how exercise truly is medicine. Keeping a regular walking routine is fabulous. Perhaps you even add a hop to your step with running a few strides or several kilometers. If so, you are well on your way to improved cardiovascular health and more. I want to shed some light on another component of physical activity: strength training. I'm not just talking about going into the gym and performing squats, bench presses, and deadlifts until you reach physical exhaustion - or boredom. While those exercises are great, there are so many more you can do in a gym setting or from the comfort of your home. What is even better is you can benefit from just 2-3 30-minute sessions per week. One option is adding them to your routine after your walk. Strength training, from a functional movement perspective, means we are doing exercises that mimic what you already do in everyday life. I highly recommend exercises like: single leg sit to stand (think going down a flight of stairs), shoulder press (how else are you to get that item on the top shelf in the kitchen), balancing on a Bosu ball (winter is coming, let's work on our balance to reduce slippery falls), or farmer carries (I'm looking at the ones who bring in an army of groceries in one trip from the car). By incorporating functional movement activities with a little bit of resistance, we work on building overall strength in the body by maintaining muscle mass. Muscle mass begins to decline after the age of 30 if you don't keep progressing and incorporating strength training to your fitness routine. Whether you're 26 or 62, I highly encourage you to reflect on what you do in a day. Does it include strength training? The time to start is now! Research proves that even beginning at the age of 62 can show great improvements in quality of life almost immediately. But think about how mobile you can be two decades later. Finally, any movement, walking, cycling, hockey, strength training, will help you sleep better at night. So many individuals can benefit from a more restful night's sleep. The good thing is you just need 20-30 minutes a day. Look at how long you spend on social media. Everyone's phone can track that and turn those minutes into movement. Have fun and feel better! Brittany Dunbar, MSc, is a Brooklin sport nutritionist and personal trainer. Email: brittfandc@gmail.com Exercise is Medicine - A Strength Approach By Brittany Dunbar Quilt Show Friday, Oct. 18th 10 am - 7 pm AND Saturday, Oct 19th 10 am - 4 pm Forest Brook Community Church 60 Kearney Drive, Ajax L1T 4N2 Beautiful Quilts Presidents Quilt Challenge 2024 Quilt Show Challenge Delicious Café Vendors Mall Featured Quilter: Jane Souch Accessible Parking AND SO MUCH MORE! Admission $10 Follow us www. durhamtrilliumquiltersguild. ca Questions? E-mail: dtqguild@gmail.com