Change Your Health and Lose Weight: Do's & Don'ts

Over my years in the fitness industry, I've seen people really overcomplicate their health and wellness journey, from super-specific foods to cook and eat at certain times, to detailed workout routines that were too extreme to maintain long term.

Here's a shortlist of Do's and Dont's to help you on your own wellness path...

 1-If you don't like it, don't do it.

Aside from when I was a kid, I've never liked cycling. But I got certified as an instructor because it was the hot thing. I hated it, every single second of it. My body doesn't like to cycle. I'd rather put a bike on my shoulder and run up a hill than cycle up a hill. No biking for me = check!

 2-If you aren't where you want to be- do something about it!

7 years ago I was 20 lbs heavier than I am now and felt AWFUL in my own skin. I had had enough. I faced the scale and was dedicated to logging on myfitnesspal until I lost the weight. Taking action is the only way something is going to change, complaining about it doesn't ever change a thing.

3-Try something different.

I can't tell you how many clients have said over the years, xyz used to work for weight loss and it doesn't anymore.

This could go towards movement or your food. There are endless videos you can try on YouTube- zumba, yoga, bodyweight workouts, walking at home, dance and the list goes on and on. Point is, our bodies are meant to move- find something that brings a smile to your face and do it daily for 10 minutes. Start there and see what happens.

You CAN change your health by changing things up! How you want to feel in your body day in and day out is 100% up to you. It's a daily decision. I'd LOVE to know if this inspires you to try something new!

Live Like Shampy! Daily Lessons on Better Health and Weight Loss

Who is Shampy? She's a 13-year-old half Maltese/half Shitzu blonde bundle of love who is on our camera roll more than any human in our family.

As I was walking her today, I thought....hmmm I wish more people lived like Shampy does. They would benefit from her daily lessons.

1-Walk often. She gets a minimum 3 walks a day plus several more off-leash just down a few houses on our street. Our bodies are meant to move, not sit all day. Imagine what you'd feel like if you took 5-6 walks a day. Even short ones like 10 minutes!

2-Rest when you are tired. So often we eat, drink coffee or energy drinks instead of actually resting. Shampy takes many naps a day including sun naps when it's nice! Most of us are deficient in Vitamin D and could use a sun nap now and then!

3-Be happy every single day. She wakes up wagging her tail and is happy all day every day. Life doesn't get her down. She misses her brother and sister who are don't live at home anymore, but she's living her best life daily.

 4-Go to bed early and get a good night's sleep. She often puts herself down before we head to bed. She knows when it's time for her to shut it down for the day. Get more sleep is the bottom line. It's THE most important thing you can do for yourself and your health!

If you need inspiration and motivation on your health journey, I'd love you to join my Tribe! I want you to feel better in your own skin, move more, eat better and live longer!

Chef Art Smith: Losing Weight with Better Food and Exercise

In a recent AARP magazine (yup I get it every month), there was an article on Art Smith. I had heard of him before as I watch a lot of cooking shows, but wasn't too familiar with him.

Last February he weighed 330 lbs and had type 2 diabetes. He took responsibility for that saying-"Who could I blame? The food I'm know for is Southern comfort food. I already knew how to lose weight. I'd lost 100 lbs. 10 years ago, but I hadn't kept it all off."

Art was lucky, he had a friend who was a trainer quarantine with him and his family. Not only didn't he gain the Corona 15, but he also lost 80 lbs! How'd he do it?

In his words ... "I don't have a diet; I'm just specific about what I eat. Tons of fruits and vegetables. I take temptation out of the kitchen and substitute lighter ingredients when I can. And exercise is crucial. You can't take health shortcuts, especially as you age."

There is SO much we cannot control right now. Our world is insane right now with fires all around us in CA, the presidential election coming up, and so much more.

 We CAN control how we treat our bodies. This is something we can all do every day. Eat more veggies. Drink more water, get up and walk more, take temptation out of your kitchen and do some push-ups while you are there!

If you need inspiration and ideas on how better to manage your health, join my Tribe! I want you to feel amazing in your own skin and have loads of ideas on how to help you get there!

Success Story: Weight Loss, 19 Pounds Later

Do you like success stories?

I LOVE them! I love seeing them in magazines, on social media, in real life and especially from people that I coach!!!

Let me brag a little on a HUGE success one of my clients has had in 3 months of working with me. When we first started working together, she didn't give food much thought. She grabbed what she could (unfortunately she works by a Dairy Queen and a lot of fast food). She's a former runner—completing a few half marathons but currently was not running. Water??? What's that? Veggies were pretty much non-existent. Stress eating was a constant.

3 months later, she's down 19 lbs!!!!! Let's just call that 4 bags of sugar shall we? 4 BAGS OF SUGAR gone off her body! She is drinking enough water. She discovered she LOVES veggies, especially BAS(big ass salads), and is feeling pretty damn great in her own skin!

 What changed? Well, she's following my advice/plan! Instead of stress eating, she's using a meditation app when she's stressed (insight timer) and or doing karaoke on YouTube! She loves to sing and found a way to do this and enjoy herself! She's actually thinking about food and we've made a daily game plan for her. She just told me yesterday that although she CANNOT believe it, she's not having any sugar cravings anymore!

If I could sing like her, I'd burst out in song right now for all of you reading this! She's following the plan we made, she's making progress, she's changing some bad habits into good ones, and feels GREAT!!!

It's NEVER too late to change! To do this, you've got to change some habits. Find ways to deal with your emotions besides eating. Like singing, going for a walk, calling a friend, getting some fuzz therapy, reading a book, having a good cry, screaming into a pillow, working out and the list goes on and on and on!!!

You CAN become a success story. You are the actor, director, and producer of your own movie!

Losing Weight Should Not Be Complicated

I used to get every single women's health magazine looking for the key to weight loss. Each one had monthly articles about how many calories you should eat or the latest fad diet. After too many years of not really liking much of anything I was reading, I canceled all my subscriptions. Bye-bye to fitness, hello to People (guilty pleasure), Oprah, and Real Simple.

Until I picked up an issue of Men's Health. I love this magazine. No BS, great articles and workout advice! This month's edition has an article about a Hollywood actor who lost over half his body weight.

I was not shocked to read this guy tried all the diets before deciding on a healthful approach to eating. After a lifetime of losing/gaining, he was ready to lose and feel good.

 What he found out ... foods that were nutritious—dark leafy greens, chicken, salmon also tended to be lower in calories than any fast food meal out there. As he became calorie-conscious, he started to turn his eating habits around. It occurred to him that it was simple.  "I couldn't blame GMO's, carbs, sugar, red foods, white foods, non-organic foods, dairy or animal products on my weight, it was simple math. I was eating too much."

 Our health should not be complicated. All diets work until you go off of them. Eating for health, for long-term vitality and wellness is not hard. Eat mostly food grown from the ground. Drink water. Avoid fast food. When you want a snack, grab an apple.

 This is his conclusion to the article...

"The biggest gift through all this has been learning that I can have whatever sort of body I want. All it takes is understanding how—and then trusting myself to follow through."

 We all have the ability to change, if we want to. It's a daily decision. You CAN change by changing your daily habits one at a time!

If you need inspiration and motivation, I'd LOVE you to join my Tribe! The success that the members are having is amazing! It's a supportive group of people who are making changes in their lives and as a result are losing weight, feeling better, and are all there to cheer each other on!

Tips on How to Move More During the Day to Promote Weight Loss and Better Health

A friend of mine asked me to write a newsletter about what someone CAN do from home without really working out. She was asking for a friend :).

Seems like most people work from home these days and are hunched over a computer or a phone for hours at a time.

In the past, I've advised people to set their alarm for every 60-90 minutes to get up and move for a few minutes. Well, that worked for exactly no one!

I've got a few new ideas to help you (or loved ones) move during the day.

Every time you go to the kitchen, do some counter push ups. Doesn't matter how many, as Nike says...Just Do It!

Every time you go to the bathroom (and you should be using the bathroom at least every 2 hours or so...at the longest), close the lid and do some squats.That means touch your butt to the lid. Again, I'm not giving you a number, just do them.

BTW-I've had LOADS of conversations about how much water to drink... here's my super scientific advice- By the time you eat lunch, your urine should look like light lemonade. If it's clear you are over hydrated. Stop drinking so much! If it's dark like apple juice or darker, start drinking more water STAT!!!!

Every time you get up and get something to eat, take a 3-5 minute (non-negotiable) walk around the house, or around your house. Your body needs to move. If you haven't read lately, the health experts are calling sitting the new smoking!

Lastly, let's talk posture. I see so many young and old hunched over. Let's work on that right now. Every time you drive, make sure the back of your head hits the head rest.  That is perfect posture. At home, go and stand back against the wall and walk away, that's perfect posture. Let's keep you upright and looking straight ahead instead of down! Your future self thanks you!!

If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube Channel The Perfect Balance- you can do so here. I have loads of videos there for you. From 1 minute of deep breathing playlist, to a how to playlist, to a stretching playlist!

What Would Your Future Self Say To You Today?

Do you ever find yourself saying ... if I could go back in time, I'd do it differently?

Part of growing up is making mistakes along the way and learning from them. That makes us who we are today!

But today, I want to talk about your health and what your future self would say to you right now!

Would your future self say, well you did ok, but because of your decisions from the last 3, 6, or 9 months—I don't feel great. In fact, I wish you had made different decsions!

We all have daily decisions that we make that all add up to how we feel inside our Ferrari (our body) every single day. If you don't like something about your physical health/self, it's up to you to start making small changes today. So that in a month, you can feel better!

My A-HA moment with this was after my accident, my sports guru told me, "Pam, had you not taken such excellent care of yourself/your health, your injuries would have been far worse." Yes, that is in quotations as I remember it clear as the day he said it. How I took care of myself made a huge difference in what could have been a horrific situation.

It's not just about weight loss. It's about what goes on inside our bodies. A lot of the disease that is killing many Americans(heart disease) can be traced back to what goes in the pie hole. 

Mindset is Everything in Life, Health, and Losing Weight

My old coach said, how you anything is how you do everything!

Do you get all fired up over small things? Do you wonder why things don't go your way? Or do you roll with the punches and stay positive?

I'm definitely in the last group. My whole life. When sh*t hit the fan, I usually went for a run to cope and de-stress. The situation never changed but my mindset/mental health was always so much better.

Same goes for my accident. I took it one step at a time. One day at a time. I got through it by staying positive. After all, it was better than being dead! BTW- this is not a statement made casually, it was my mantra during the entire ordeal. So much so, my family got me a pillow that says Better Than Dead as a gift!

Today, I got my first flat tire. I had just picked up a dear friend, and we had picked up lunch to be eaten back at her house. We pulled into a parking lot when the car felt funny. Yup, flat tire. I called AAA and we laughed and had a car picnic!

Now, 20 minutes prior, I was on a freeway in the middle lane. That would have been an entirely different situation. But getting a flat in a place where I could pull over safely and eat a yummy BAS and catch up with my friend= awesome!

Mindset is everything, my friends! If you find yourself being negative Nelly, turn that around. One day at a time!

To Lose Weight and Be Healthier, No One Else Can Do It For You

Recently I was talking to a friend who had a family member undergo gastric bypass surgery. The family member was so excited to have the surgery and finally feel good in their skin.

 Uggghhhh. I've personally known 6 people who have had that surgery and 5 put most of the weight back on. It's not a quick fix. It's not a lifelong solution either.

 It seems in our country, people are more focused on taking pills, getting surgery or other avenues to take care(or not) of their health instead of moderate steps in order to prevent obesity/disease.

 Your health is the ONLY thing you can't hire anyone to take care of for you. YOU have to do the work- both by what goes in the pie hole and how you move. If you don't like how you feel, it's up to you to change!

 Hopefully, I've taught you anything by my weekly emails, I hope it's to take better care of yourself day in and day out. We only have one body to go through life in, why not fuel it with top-notch fuel, rest, and keep moving it so it keeps moving!

 It's my hope you go through each day thinking about yourself and your health. That you put yourself on your calendar every single day to move your body, go for a walk and not put junk in the pie hole. You are a Ferrari after all, NOT the Delorean from Back to the Future that ran on garbage!

Fight Obesity and Lose the Weight

My tagline your health is your wealth rings true now more than ever. So many people are dying from COVID. The risk factors of getting COVID include: people that are over 60 years, people who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, or hypertension are among those who are at greater risk. Nothing you haven't already read I'm sure.

Today in my local paper, there was an article on obesity. It talked about a chief medical examiner who lost weight because of his work in the morgue tracking covid cases. He said, "obesity is a factor in a lot of cases. It motivated me to lose 18 lbs and I'm not overweight to start with," this from Dr Craig Mallak.

 "The dominant message so far in the pandemic is that older people are the most at risk. Doctors are also finding obesity is making it harder for people to fight off the virus REGARDLESS of age."

 That's a scary statement for the United States. We have one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. The article further discussed two doctors talking about if it will get as bad as Italy her in the U.S. One doctor said, "it's going to be worse because we have high rates of obesity."

It's not just a few extra COVID lbs that are the problem. Obesity makes it harder for your body to fight off infection. It seems people are always looking for a shortcut to losing weight rather than changing lifestyle habits. Making your health a priority every single day can literally save your life.

If you need help, there are 2 ways I can help. By joining the Perfect Balance Tribe. And/or- I do private food coaching. Losing weight will always be about what goes in the pie hole. I can help you lose weight by keeping you accountable for what you eat! If you are interested please contact us!

The Best Habits to Help Lose Weight

As most of you know, I am a big believer in creating new habits into your day to develop a healthy lifestyle.

Add a BAS (big ass salad) most days of the week in the spring and summer.

Frontload your day with water. Yes, yes, yes, coffee is a food group but your body(especially your organs ) needs water.

Add movement into your life and keep moving forever.

Recently, I was getting my teeth cleaned and my hygenist asked if I was using my Sonicare toothbrush. I told her not as much as I should because by the end of the night I am wayyyyy too tired to spend two minutes brushing. Sad but true.

Now, you may be thinking...PPPAAAAMMMMMM you should be taking better care of your beautiful new teeth!!! Agreed! I felt like an idiot hearing my own excuse.

Then the ding, ding, ding went off. This is just like the hundreds of excuses I've heard from people over the years about why they couldn't change their eating/workout habits.

Because I really value my teeth (spending months with no front teeth will make you do that), I knew I needed to create a new habit. Now, I brush around 7:30-8 pm when I am wide awake! This means I am using the Sonicare every single night! I feel pretty proud of myself because my dental health is super important to me!

 If you are struggling with any aspect of your health, tackle one habit at a time. Because when you overcome your own excuses and objections and follow-through, you will feel great!

Not Losing Weight? It's Time to Change Up Your Toolbox

There's been many people over the years who have told me ... I used to do this to lose weight or this always works for me.  Hmmmmm if you have to do it over and over, I don't think it's working.

 If the tools in your toolbox(insert any diet/ plan you've done in the past) are not working for you, it's time to get a new set of tools!

It's so easy to say, well, this worked before so I'll do it again. But, if it didn't work long term, then I guess it didn't really work—did it?

I know a gal who lost 40 lbs on a super strict diet. When I talked to her she had put back on 20 and kept saying, I just need to get back to my diet and I'll drop the weight. But she never did and now is up even more.

There is no magic bullet, no one thing that works. But rather a lot of little things day in and day out that will get and keep you heatlhy and drop weight if that's what you are looking for!

Getting a new set of tools when you want to accomplish your health goals is never a bad idea. Learning more about what keeps you full, what movement you really enjoy, making more time to get up and move around, adding veggies into your day are all great tools for everyone's toolbox.

If you have goals(and I hope you do), and want to reach them. Look at your toolbox. What is in there right now?

Old stuff you've been doing over and over and not getting results?

Time to step it up and get shiny new tools to inspire you and get you closer to your goals.

Healthy Weight Loss Using Curiosity Over Negativity

The last time you fell down ... not literally but ate too much, drank too much, took too much time off of exercise, etc, how did you talk to yourself?

I'm guessing you beat yourself up. So much negative self-talk. I know I used to do this for hours over a previous night's food/drink. I was flat-out awful to myself.

Can you relate?

If you do this to yourself, I'd love you to look at it a different way! Instead of negativity, ask yourself why you did that. Why did you overeat? Why did you have that last drink?

When I look back, I know that if I had more than one beer, I'd eat too much—95% of the time. And who just wants one beer? Not me. But I literally couldn't control what I put in the piehole! Which led to food regret for far too long the next day. It happened a lot.

If this happens to you, look at why. See if you can change your behavior to feel better the next day. I know I spent far too many hours hating myself for my actions. Life is too short for anything except loving yourself. You are stronger than you know. You CAN change!

How to Live to 100+: Lose Weight, Eat Less, Exercise & More

Do you think about getting older? Wonder how you'll feel? Worry about how you'll feel?

My Sunday paper had a layout with an amazing 105-year-old woman (Ida Keeling-who I've written about here before) with sculpted arms who is a sprinter and says "I'm running from old age."

It's hard to think about aging...there are so many who don't take care of themselves or their health and bear the brunt of that as they get older.

 There were so many gems in that article, I had to share!

 "It's a myth that the older you get, the sicker you get. It's more like, the older you get, the healthier you've been," says Thomas Perls, M.D. who's tracked thousands of 100 plussers in his New England Centenarian Study.

Until you’re in your late 80's or 90's, genes get only a 1/4 of the credit. The rest is down to simple health behaviors.

These include:

Eating less: Just enough to maintain healthy body weight. (I can just hear some of you saying, Pam!!!!! that's no fun! Remember, this is not coming from me but doctors who studied people who lived 100+ years!)

Be Cheerful: being outgoing, optimistic, and easy-going. The good news—if you're not born this way you can develop these characteristics!

Stimulate your brain: Crosswords, sudoku, or other puzzles are great ways to stimulate your brain. Or learn a language! With free apps, it's accessible for everyone!

Exercise 45 minutes a day: It doesn't have to be all at once! Two or three shorter sessions that add up to that works! Experts say that lifelong movement from climbing stairs to walks to weight lifting is the longevity aid ranked #1!

Eat a mostly plant-based diet: Focus on protein (but NOT much red meat … yes I'm directly talking to certain someone who is reading this right now), healthy fats and complex carbs (veggies other food grown from the ground like sweet potatoes).

 IF you are not doing any of those, pick one and master it! Then add another one in until you've got that down. Success comes from taking baby steps, mastering them, and moving on!

When It Comes to Losing Weight, Don't Be a Victim

Recently a friend was telling me she just can't get her health together. Her job was crazy, her kids kept her busy, she was overloaded …

That same week another friend in a similar situation said almost the same thing but told me she makes sure to schedule time to workout daily because it helps. Both with her mental clarity and she starts the day off right. She also packed her food for the day so she wouldn't be tempted by the crap at the office. She walked at lunchtime just to be out in the fresh air and all these things led her to feel great.

Some people just can't get out of their own way.  Life happens to them. I want you all to be in control of your health daily.

Regarding your health, do you make excuses as to why you aren't taking the best care of yourself possible? Or do you take steps needed to take care of yourself?

 I'm not talking about hours of exercise or extreme eating friends. I'm talking about making time for yourself and your health every day. We only get one body to go through life in ... I want you to take such great care of yourself that you feel amazing in your own skin every single day!

If you are a victim ... great news! You CAN totally change! Starting today, plan 15 minutes of movement and add some veggies to your plate. Keep doing that for a few days and see how you feel.

 There is no better feeling out there than taking excellent care of yourself! You are never too busy to put your health at the top of your to-do list. Or on your daily calendar. You ARE worth it my friends!

Good Enough is Good Enough When it Comes to Losing Weight

Probably 99% of the women I work with are all or nothing. That mindset that if they can't do something or everything perfectly why bother doing anything!

 Does this sound familiar?

 Let me tell you, doing something is better than doing nothing-every single time. Drinking some water is better than drinking no water. Moving for 10 minutes a day is better than not moving.

 It's awful to see people think if they can't do anything/everything perfectly (and let me tell you we are human and not perfect!!!) then forget it.

I'm here to tell you, doing what you can is good enough! Some days are better than others. Sometimes you can do more, sometimes you can't. That's life.

Please know that when it comes to your health, I want you to let go of perfection. Make smaller goals, reach them, AND feel successful! Add on, ONE goal at a time. You CAN do it!!!

 Your health is your wealth!

The Rule to Avoid a Sugar Hangover

I woke up the day after my birthday with a hangover. Not from alcohol but from sugar. It was awful. That pain right between your eyes just pounding...what an awful way to wake up the day after an amazing day!

 My dad died of Alzheimer's. This is also referred to as Type 3 Diabetes. Food, specifically sugar (either sweets or bread, pancakes, ice cream, etc)  is just awful for this horrific disease.

Since his death, I don't often eat sugar. For me, it's a slippery slope. I can't just have one bite—I want 20 bites! I'm not joking here.

 This year, both my kids were home for my birthday and I made a decadent dessert. And I also had 2 pieces. It's my birthday, after all, gotta celebrate right? Ummm, that decision kicked my ass.

After not having sugar for a long time, my body said F-You sister! We'll see how you like sugar now. I felt like an idiot the next day. I know what my body can and cannot handle and that much sugar was definitely more than I could handle!

Here's my lesson learned ... I will not say I'm never eating sugar again—that's just unrealistic. But what I am saying is, I have 2-3  bites and really enjoy it. We all know the first 2 bites of anything are the best of all! Then, there's no hangover, no being too full and still getting to enjoy a dessert.

At the end of the day we all have to figure out what works best for our own bodies! For me, sugar is a rare treat and has to be taken in small doses. If there's some food that is controlling you... try the 2 bite rule and see how it turns out. You may surprise yourself!

Using "I AM" Statements to Help Lose Weight

How would you describe yourself healthwise?

 I am a runner, I do pull-ups, I eat lots of BAS(big ass salads), I frontload my day with water, I stretch daily, I do mostly bodyweight exercises for my strength work.

Sometimes, we have to talk ourselves into things (eating more veggies or moving our bodies) to make them happen.

 But, if you tell yourself, I am a daily walker, I eat 3 servings of veggies daily, I get up once an hour and move my body, I do push-ups daily, it just may become who you are!

 There was a networking event I was at a few years ago where a woman was bringing around a tray of chocolates. The woman I was with said, oh Pam doesn't eat stuff like that before I could even say anything. Hmmm, I thought- interesting that she said that. I don't eat sweets often but had never declared that out loud.

 How you talk about yourself is HUGELY important on this journey. I see far too many women tear themselves down by telling me what they don't do/their shortcomings. Let's change that and start saying what you do daily! The great thing, it's up to YOU to make the statement.

• I am strong.

• I love eating veggies.

• I move my body every day.

• I (mostly) eat for my health.

 If you need help here, let the Perfect Balance Tribe inspire you on your wellness journey!

Realistic Expectations with Weight Loss

Do you expect change to happen fast?

I had a client once ask to help her lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks as she was going to a reunion...uggghhh!

It's hard not to in our Insta society! With the touch of a finger we can look up anything (not like the old days of encyclopedias!), we  buy anything and everything on Amazon.

Your body is not like Amazon. You can not expect a delivery/change by the next day. The body you are in right now is a result of the food/drink choices you have made over the last 6 months or so. Harsh but true.

I had one client who had the MOST realistic expectations of anyone I have ever worked with. She wanted to lose 2 lbs a month. That way in a year she'd be down 25 lbs or so. We discussed it and she knew it was achievable and doable for her lifestyle. And SHE DID IT! 25 lbs is 5 bags of sugar gone off her body!

Usually people give up after less than a month as the results are not coming fast enough. It didn't come on over night friends and it's not leaving over night. Create healthier habits, day in and day out and you will see change. But it will not ever happen as fast as you want it to. You are worth sticking it out for and reaching your goals—just sayin'!

Your health is your wealth!

With Exercise, You Should Only Do What You Love to Do

I am a firm believer in doing exercise that makes you happy...if you like to dance- great! If you like to jump rope- awesome! Life is too short to dread your exercise/movement!

 I recently saw a neighbor and his running friends who were running a half marathon(13.1 miles). I wished them luck and wondered how my neighbor had fared.

I just ran into him and he said it was awful. He got really bad calf cramps around mile 10 and had to walk a bit after that. The day I saw him, he had run 8 miles.

 He looked at me and said Pam, I hope I don't offend you but running is kind of boring! I told him he literally cannot offend me-lol- and I agreed running long was boring. I told him despite my many marathons and half marathons, I rarely ran more than a few miles at a time. These days I do mostly sprints and hill repeats. They are short, I get to work really hard (thanks to my running partner who is just a bit faster than me!) and FUN!!!

 If your workout is a chore, stop it. Find what makes you happy. With YouTube, you literally have every workout at your fingertips!

 *Caveat... EVERYONE needs to be strength training! We ALL lose muscle after the age of 30 unless we actively work to keep it. Muscle protects bones. That is why so many elderly break bones when they fall. If you need someplace to start, go to my YouTube channel!