Did you know that a pound of muscle burns about 50 calories a day?

And that’s just by being a muscle.

Muscles burn off calories more rapidly than any other tissue in the body.

As a fitness professional, I focus a lot on the benefits of developing muscle mass for strength and better movement. This enables you to live an active lifestyle and age well.

Developing and maintaining muscle mass is critical for losing weight and keeping it off.

When you lose weight on just about any program, you lose a combination of fat and muscle.

According to Dr. Steve Chaney, a biochemist and professor at UNC, when you lose 12 pounds of weight, 5 of those pounds will be muscle.

This really stinks.

It means that with muscle loss, you’ve lost the ability to burn 250 calories (5x50 calories) each day.

Ever wonder why people often lose weight then gain it right back? This is part of their problem.

You need to add resistance training to your lifestyle to replace lost muscle, burn calories and control weight.

If you aren’t already performing resistance training on a regular basis, consider adding it to your routine today.

It will keep you strong and help you stay lean.

Reach fitness expert and personal trainer Rachel Maxwell at (803) 240-5372.