Ageless Timeless Featured Athlete

Joan Pagano hasn't always been in the great physical shape that she is today. 

She explains, "My life began with a boom of athleticism that lasted many years, from the moment I could walk through college sports. However, this was followed by a bust when I moved to NYC and became sedentary, working first in fashion and then in the restaurant business. "

According to the Ageless Timeless article about Joan, "A sedentary high pressure lifestyle took its toll upon Pagano, and she began to feel negative effects, both physically and mentally. In essence, she had left the physical domain behind in college and did not engage in that realm during her twenties and mid-thirties. She may never have recaptured her lost passion and innate capabilities had it not been for her friend and business partner, who insisted that yoga would greatly benefit her greatly. With much prodding and perseverance, Joan was finally convinced to attend a yoga class. To her surprise, she was able to perform the postures with far more ease than she ever expected. Moreover, the class was friendly and all participants were more interested in personal development as opposed to competition. Yoga was the catalyst, leading to Pagano's fitness rebirth. Once she experienced the benefits of yoga, she expanded her exercise program to include weight training. Pagano reflected, " I became interested in strength training, figuring if Yoga could tone my muscles, then lifting weights would really sculpt them. I liked the idea of becoming stronger because it made me feel more independent and self-sufficient, like I could really take care of myself."

Watch this video to hear the full story:

Strength training keeps you young by making you stronger, more stable, more active and energetic. It allows you to be more self-sufficient and independent as you age. And most encouraging of all, muscle mass and strength can be regained no matter what your age and fitness level. In fact, you can literally rejuvenate your cells and "get younger" with strength training even into advanced age.