Our Western society is, to put it frankly, obsessed with the idea of anti-aging and the fountain of youth. This multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry that is mainly targeted at women focuses on all of the products and things you can do to maintain the appearance of youth on the outside of your body. But what about what is going on in the inside? Key Takeaways If You Are Interested in Using Muscle to Improve Your Aging, You Should: Start strength training now if you haven't already Follow a plan that is progressive and will help you Outsource to a professional in order to take the next step Preserving Your Muscle and Quality of Life Muscle is the most critical topic that is missing from the majority of conversations around aging. Preserving our muscle mass as we get older is one of the best ways to maintain our quality of life and longevity as we transition through menopause and beyond. Developing and maintaining muscle not only makes you feel good but is a key factor in how you age. The Unsung Hero of Anti-Aging While you may not be able to prevent 100% of the muscle mass loss you may experience as you get older, strength training is the best action you can take to take steps in that direction.  Muscle mass is the unsung hero of the anti-aging discussion, and is about so much more than vanity and appearances. If you want to preserve your quality of life and longevity as you age, maintaining your muscle is the first thing you need to think about. How has strength training changed your approach to aging? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Exploring what the term anti-aging really means in modern Western society (4:45) Evidence-based statistics to help you understand the aging landscape (9:02) Why you need to pay attention to strength training, especially during the menopause transition (13:21) What you need to know about the relationship between estrogen and muscle (17:11) Things you can do about your muscle mass as you age (25:02) Quotes “If there is one thing that gets missed over time and time and time again in the conversation about aging, it is the unsung hero, muscle.” (3:12) “I don't want to just live to be very old in terms of my years, but I also would like to have as much quality of life, and quality of health, as possible.” (8:29) “No matter where on the spectrum you are, it is absolutely important and possible for you to start strength training now and reap some of these benefits.” (15:53) “Not only does this affect performance in terms of sports and athletics and fitness, but also, life.” (21:48) “This is all about your longevity, quality of programming, quality of life, and how strength training is going to serve you going forward.” (29:01) Featured on the Show Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here Dynamic Dumbells Program Strong With Steph Program Full Show Notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS #411: Why You Need A Strength Training Program FYS #408: Growth Mindset in Fitness FYS #407: The Female Athlete Health Report with Kyniska Advocacy