#1 Secret to Aging Well w/Dr. Gabrielle Lyon! Get Fit, Prevent Disease & Future-Proof Your Body

Summary

---

The Jamie Kern Lima Show

Episode: #1 Secret to Aging Well w/ Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

Date: January 29, 2026
Guest: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

---

Overview:

Jamie Kern Lima welcomes Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, physician and founder of the Institute for Muscle Centric Medicine, to discuss the number one secret to aging well: building and maintaining skeletal muscle. Together, they debunk common health myths, explore the science of muscle as the “organ of longevity,” and deliver practical, inspiring advice for anyone—especially women—seeking lasting health, vitality, and self-belief.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Real Secret to Aging Well: Build Muscle, Not Just Lose Fat

[06:20] Dr. Lyon: “It’s have healthy skeletal muscle. That is so easy.”

• Redefining the Obesity Epidemic:
  Dr. Lyon argues that society’s focus on losing fat misses the root problem. “Our so-called obesity epidemic is really a midlife muscle crisis.” [00:34]

• Muscle vs. Fat Mindset Shift:
  Many, especially women, have been taught to chase weight loss. Dr. Lyon emphasizes that investing in gaining muscle is the true lever for better health, body composition, and disease prevention.

  “If you focus on skeletal muscle… you can really transform your life. And the pressure is different, because you’re focusing on what you have to gain, not lose.” [09:16] Dr. Lyon

What Is Skeletal Muscle and Why Is It Unique?

[06:28] Skeletal muscle is "the only organ system you have voluntary control over," making up roughly 40% of the body and directly linked to metabolism, strength, and longevity.

• Not Just About Looks:
  The aesthetic drive to “look fit” misses the critical metabolic and disease-prevention functions of muscle.

  “That is only one factor… It is really our metabolic focal point for metabolism.” [07:12] Dr. Lyon

Disease Prevention and Brain Health

• Muscle as the Linchpin of Health:
  Most modern chronic diseases—obesity, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s—can be traced back to inadequate muscle health.

  “These are diseases of skeletal muscle first.” [10:32] Dr. Lyon

• Women’s Health & Fertility:
  Improved skeletal muscle health directly impacts fertility and hormone balance.

  “It’s not body fat percentage that improves fertility. It is the health of skeletal muscle and the fat within muscle.” [12:24] Dr. Lyon

• Cognition and Brain Fog:
  Contracting muscle releases myokines—“little peptide hormones that travel throughout the body and they affect the brain and the liver and the bone… for our brain, it helps with… neurogenesis.”

  “When you exercise at an intense pace… you actually can change the quickness and the speed of the way that you think.” [13:02] Dr. Lyon

Self-Worth, Mindset, and Discipline

• Worthiness as a Health Foundation:
  Dr. Lyon and Jamie discuss how beliefs about worthiness can impact whether someone prioritizes muscle-building habits.

  “What is the biggest barrier between those that actually get well and those that don’t? It’s their level of worthiness.” [14:04] Dr. Lyon

• Discipline as Self-Care:
  Adopting small, consistent habits—“chop wood, carry water”—is more effective than chasing novelty diets or complicated routines.

Practical Muscle-Building Recommendations

How Much Exercise and What Kind?

• Baseline Criteria:

  “150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise and two days a week of resistance training. And so that’s the minimum to not be worse than yesterday. But over 70% [of us] aren’t even meeting that.” [24:35] Dr. Lyon

• Moderate to Vigorous Activity:
  Activities like brisk walking, going up stairs—"where you're getting your heart rate up" count.

  “The more intense you do that movement, the less you need.” [30:08] Dr. Lyon

• Resistance Training Defined:
  Resistance training is "moving anything against force." This includes weight lifting, bands, bodyweight exercises like squats or push-ups, yoga.

  “Yoga could be a form of resistance if you’re doing cobra, downward dog… Using a band, your body weight—that’s resistance.” [46:54] Dr. Lyon

• Quick, Accessible Workouts:

  “I had two resistance bands that I can bring. Anybody can do that… I usually do around 100 pushups a day. I break it up 10 sets of 10.” [32:42] Dr. Lyon

How Do You Know If You Have Enough Muscle?

• Measurement Challenges:
  Scales and body fat measurements aren’t reliable for tracking muscle. Tools like DEXA scans are limited; the gold standard is MRI/CT, "but nobody’s doing that."

  “The more muscle mass you have, the better.” [27:53] Dr. Lyon

If You Build Muscle, Will You Lose Fat?

• Muscle Improves Body Composition Automatically:

  “Typically, yes. Your body composition improves… When someone is focused on building muscle, the moment they choose to do it, right away, in an instant, they will improve the health of that tissue with the first rep.” [38:21 & 38:33] Dr. Lyon

• Muscle and Metabolism:

  “Muscle is a suitcase. If you are eating too many carbohydrates and too much food, the primary site… for those carbs to be disposed of… goes in skeletal muscle. If [that] muscle is already full… it has nowhere to go because you’re not exercising. But if you do some kind of physical activity, you will start to take the clothes out of that suitcase… that can be done with one workout.” [39:13] Dr. Lyon

Special Considerations for Women and Men

For Women:

• Improved fertility
• Protection against menopause-related declines (bone loss, metabolism)
• Prevention of osteoporosis
• Better cognitive function, metabolism, and mobility

  “Muscle will improve chances of fertility… It will improve bone health… brain function...” [48:56] Dr. Lyon

For Men:

• Sexual health—directly tied to muscle mass

  “We recently published a paper on muscle mass and sexual function. If you want better erections and you want better sexual function, then you need healthy skeletal muscle.” [50:14] Dr. Lyon

Muscle, Body Fat, and Health at Any Age

• It’s Never Too Late:

  “While you can always get stronger… we see that you can build muscle and strength in your 90s. It’s never too late to start.” [36:19] Dr. Lyon

• Quality of Muscle Matters:
  Healthy muscle should look like “filet mignon” on the inside, not “marbled ribeye or bacon”—fat infiltrating muscle is harmful. Even if the scale doesn’t move, exercise always improves muscle quality. [56:36] Dr. Lyon

Muscle and Cognitive Decline (Alzheimer’s, Dementia)

• Muscle–Brain Connection:

  “The lower the brain volume, typically, the more heavy they were. So basically the wider the waistline, the lower the brain volume.” [53:14] Dr. Lyon

  • Alzheimer’s is “Type 3 diabetes of the brain.”
  • Regular resistance and cardiovascular training are some of the most protective lifestyle strategies.

---

Timestamps of Key Sections

• [06:20] The Real Secret to Aging Well: Skeletal Muscle
• [08:19] Why Gaining Muscle Is More Important Than Losing Fat
• [13:02] Muscle and Brain Function
• [14:04] Self-Worth and Discipline
• [24:35] How Much Exercise? Baseline Guidelines
• [26:15] Resistance Training - What Counts?
• [29:59] How to Know If You Have Enough Muscle
• [30:08] Moderate to Vigorous Activity Explained
• [32:24] No-Gym Quick Workouts
• [36:19] Never Too Late to Start Building Muscle
• [38:21] Does Gaining Muscle Automatically Burn Fat?
• [46:54] What Is Resistance Training?
• [48:56] Women’s Health Benefits
• [50:14] Men’s Health and Sexual Function
• [53:14] Muscle & Cognitive Decline
• [56:36] Healthy Muscle vs. Fatty Muscle; Exercise Quality

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s have healthy skeletal muscle. That is so easy.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [06:20]
• “Our so-called obesity epidemic is really a midlife muscle crisis.” — Jamie Kern Lima [00:34]
• “If you focus on skeletal muscle… you can really transform your life.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [09:16]
• “What is the biggest barrier between those that actually get well and those that don’t? It’s their level of worthiness.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [14:04]
• “If you are strong in midlife, you have a greater chance… 2.5 times greater chance of living to 100.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [18:57]
• “Never too late to start. We see that you can build muscle and strength in your 90s.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [36:19]
• “Muscle is a suitcase… If you do some kind of physical activity… it frees up space. That can be done with one workout.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [38:33]
• "We recently published a paper on muscle mass and sexual function. If you want better erections… you need healthy skeletal muscle." — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [50:14]
• “The wider the waistline, the lower the brain volume.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [53:14]
• “You do not want [muscle] to look like wagyu beef or a marbled ribeye. You want your muscle to look like filet mignon.” — Dr. Gabrielle Lyon [56:45]

---

Actionable Takeaways

• Stop Chasing Novelty Diets: Prioritize building and maintaining muscle through consistent, basic resistance training and movement.
• Resistance Training Means More Than Just Weights: Use bands, bodyweight, even yoga—what matters is consistently challenging muscle.
• Frequency: Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate/vigorous movement and two sessions of resistance training.
• Strength = Longevity: The stronger you are in midlife, the greater your odds of extended, healthier life.
• It’s Never Too Late: Building muscle benefits all ages.
• Mindset Matters: Consider your “worthiness” and self-belief as foundational to making healthy habits stick.

---

Closing Thoughts

This episode blends scientific evidence with inspiration, emphasizing that muscle is more than aesthetics—it’s the key to healthy aging, cognitive vitality, emotional well-being, and life-long independence. Dr. Lyon’s clear advice and Jamie’s personal candor make this an essential listen for anyone ready to move beyond diet hype toward lasting strength inside and out.

---

For more, check out Dr. Lyon’s new book “Forever Strong Playbook” and Jamie’s “Worthy.”

---

[End of Summary]

Transcript

[Jamie Kern Lima]

What is the number one secret to.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Aging well that is so easy? It's.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I have tried every diet under the planet since I was probably 14. I mean I. And of course then you just yo, yo back. Nothing works. All the things. And one of the things you say that I think is really impacting so many people is that so many of us are focused on losing fat when really so many of our issues would be solved if we actually just focused instead on gaining muscle.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yeah.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Do you want to sharpen your mind, strengthen your body and learn what really moves the needle when it comes to aging well? Do you feel like you've tried so many things that aren't working and wish your energy was higher, your body was stronger and your metabolism was faster? Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, one of the most compelling science driven physicians who's redefining what we know about science, strength, aging, resilience and human potential, is in the studio today and she is sharing the number one secret that you can do right now in your life to age well. Optimize your weight, future, proof your body and so much more. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a board certified physician, one of the leading voices changing how we think about health, longevity and aging, and the founder of the Institute for Muscle Centric Medicine. She's known for her groundbreaking message that muscle is the organ of longevity and that our so called obesity epidemic is really a midlife muscle crisis. She's worked with Navy Seals, Olympians and some of the highest performers in the world and she brings that same science backed approach to helping everyone, especially women, build strength, vitality and confidence at every age. She's also the Host of the Dr. Gabrielle Lyons Show Podcast, the New York Times bestselling author of Forever Strong, a new science based strategy for aging well and the brand new book out now called the Forever Strong Playbook, a six week science based plan to sharpen your mind, strengthen your body and get healthy at any age. How much protein should you eat? What about a fasting window? Will you get too bulky if you start lifting weights? How can you really lose belly fat and ignite a sluggish metabolism? And what are the true needle movers when it comes to aging well and feeling Your absolute best? Dr. Lyon has flown in from her busy practice in Texas to be here with you and me today. And I am so excited for this conversation. And whether today you're listening for yourself or because someone that you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast family. Thank you so much, so much for being here and can you take two seconds and do me a favor, please hit the subscribe or follow button on the app you're listening or watching on. Thank you so much. It truly means so much to me and you can get inspiration into your inbox from me for free. Just join my newsletter [e-mail] Also, this incredible podcast episode today, it's not just for you and me. Please share it with every single person that you know who might need some inspiration today or perhaps a boost in their health or their self belief. Because what you're about to hear can truly impact mine, yours and their lives too.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Oprah, how have you defied the odds? Her show is unlike any I've ever done.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

A revelation. When you listen, it feels like a hug. But your brain and your spirit and your heart is like, wow.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Melinda French.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

When I look into Jamie's eyes, I feel like I am on some other cosmic level with her. I could see the light around her. She's infused with light.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Imagine overcoming self doubt, learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself and know you are enough. Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Jamie Kern Lima's her name. Everybody needs Jamie Kern Lima in their life.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Jamie Kern Lima.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Jamie, you're so inspiring. Jamie Kern Lima, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Thank you so much for having me. Jamie, it's great to see you.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I am so happy you're here and whether you are listening and joining us right now and you love working out and love health and want to take it to the next level or you're like me and you really don't like to work out and you, but you want to be healthy, you want to feel your best, you want to feel vibrant, you want to be there for your kids or your grandkids or just to enjoy your best life. This conversation is going to be for you today. It's science based, science backed and I have to say, amongst the scientific community, you're always in there with all of them and leading the charge in all this conversation. But you are also starting to take mainstream by storm. And I'm so, so excited because I think that there's so much misinformation out there, there's so much noise out there, there's so many people, you know, selling this and that and a lot of people just really want to know and a lot of people don't have enough time with their doctor in the room and they really want to know what should I be eating, how should I be exercising what moves the needle? Why am I not losing this fat? RGLP1's great. What else do I need to know? So we're going there on all the stuff. I just adore you and I've had the gift of getting to know you outside of all this. And I'm very, very grateful for that. I'm excited for your new book. I'm gonna take this six week challenge. I'm gonna do the Forever Strong playbook, six week science based plan. And then I'm gonna be able to share what happens. And I'm someone who does not like working out, so. Okay. Welcome to the show. I love you. I'm so happy you're here. And the very first question is just right off the top. What is the number one secret to.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Aging well, that is so easy. It's have healthy skeletal muscle. That is so easy.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

What is skeletal muscle? For someone who's like skeletal muscle muscle, what does that mean?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Skeletal muscle is the only organ system you have voluntary control over. And when you think about muscle, people often ask, why do you say skeletal muscle? Yeah, well, there's smooth muscle, like when you have a baby uterus. There's cardiac muscle, which is muscle in the heart, and then there's skeletal muscle, which makes up 40% of your body. And we have cognitive control over that.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Organ system, which is the muscles we see. Exactly. Our biceps, our abs, our quads. The things that we see is our skeletal muscle. And you say that's the number one secret to aging. Well, and can you share why?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yes. You know, for the last 50 years, if we think about the landscape that we're in, we have been chasing novelty diets. The lucky diet, which is, I don't know, 1920s, 1940s, people were smoking to be thin. The grapefruit diet, I'm sure you've heard of that. All of these different novel diets. But at the end of the day, humans are designed to eat in a particular way, and we don't have to chase novelty anymore. There are great foundational information that we have. We have these innovative ways to make our body better, and skeletal muscle is the key to that. With this obesity and weight epidemic that we've been chasing, I think it's the wrong aspect that we've been looking at for health. It's not about an obesity epidemic. It really is about the health and wellness of skeletal muscle. Because even if we think about being jacked, you know, you were saying it's the muscles we see. It's so much more than that. It is really Our metabolic focal point for metabolism.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Well, this is really big. And why. I think one of the many reasons your work has started to sort of explode and take on mainstream is because, I mean, I'm a person. I have tried every diet under the planet since I was probably 14. I mean, I. And of course, then you just yo yo back. Nothing works. All the things. And one of the things you say that I think is really impacting so many people is that so many of us are focused on losing fat when really so many of our issues would be solved if we actually just focused instead on gaining muscle.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yeah.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Can you explain that? Because this is big, everyone. And I want you to pause on that. Really take it in. If you're someone listening or watching, you've been focusing on like, oh, I just got to lose the fat. And then it never seems to happen. When you shift to, wait a minute. What if I actually just go, how much muscle do I have? What does my skeletal muscle look like? What if I focus on gaining muscle? You're saying that solves so many things.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yes.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And you share that.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

And especially for women. Women are afraid of getting bulky or they think that it's just for the guys. And also this idea of weight loss, it's very disempowering because we're chasing things that we can't control. Losing weight restriction. And again, that has been the way in which we've modeled our behavior. But if you focus on skeletal muscle, if you focus on the thing that you have power to do, which is what you have to gain, then you can really transform your life. And the pressure is different because you'd mentioned something about yo yo dieting, and that's actually where this concept of muscle centric medicine came from. I was doing my fellowship in WashU in geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, and I imaged this woman's brain who had been yo yo dieting her entire life. And I recognized that her brain really had suffered and it wasn't necessary that. Had we really doubled down on what we know now, which is build muscle, create a diet that allows someone to be consistent, then things like obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's can be treated early on because they're diseases of skeletal muscle first.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah. Will you explain this in a way where those of us who aren't in the medical space or the science driven research space can understand it? Specifically, if we focus on muscle and we gain more muscle, what does that do for us? You talked a lot about how disease prevention, all of the things when we put on muscle, it helps us Age well, it helps us be stronger in every part of our body. I think all most of us have ever learned is, oh, we put on muscle to look good or to be strong or, you know, you mentioned your book for vanity purposes. People have confused that muscle's a sort of aesthetic thing when really you say it's the number one key to almost anything. So putting on muscle when we do that, does that automatically help us lose weight? And why, like belly fat, things like that. And why when we put on muscle and does it automatically help us future proof our body?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yeah, I love that you said that. We've been focused on the aesthetics.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

That is only one factor for skeletal muscle. That's just like one small component. It is when we think about what we need to do to avoid diabetes. And just from someone who is thinking, okay, how about simply this, you have a large female audience and fertility is a really big problem for people. Pcos, which is polycystic ovarian syndrome, and I know a lot of people have heard about it, is one of the number one causes of infertility. And that starts and is in part related to the health of skeletal muscle. So I, for example, was interviewing one of the world leading scientists on this and I asked her, well, what about body fat percentage? How do you know if someone will improve their chances of fertility? I said, what body fat percentage is that? And she looked at me and she said, gabrielle, it's not body fat percentage that improves fertility. It is the health of skeletal muscle and the fat within muscle. Meaning the lower the fat content in your muscle, the more likelihood you will have of getting pregnant, not only even in pregnancy. All of the things that we think about that matter to people's health.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

How does skeletal muscle impact our brain? How sharp we think, how clear. A lot of people deal with brain fog and just fatigue.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

That is a great question. Skeletal muscle and brain. Well, first of all, muscle is related to every organ system. It creates this big network of connection for people. Skeletal muscle and brain function. That was actually some of my early work. When you contract your muscle, and when I say contract, let's say you just do some push ups or you go for a really long walk, your muscle releases myokines, which are little peptide hormones that travel throughout the body and they affect the brain and the liver and the bone, but specifically for our brain, it helps with our thinking, our neurogenesis, the development of new brain and neural networks. And I'm going to throw something out there that when you exercise at a intense pace, let's say you Want to. It's called cognitive velocity. You actually can change the quickness and the speed of the way that you think.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And what if you don't want to work out, but you do? Does that still happen?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

You don't want to work out? Yes, it does.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

You know, muscle's extraordinary. It's the tool that we can pull for everything in our life when it comes to, you know. And I was thinking a lot about this podcast before and of course your book Worthy. And I thought to myself, what is the biggest barrier between those that actually get well and those that don't? And it's their level of worthiness of what they believe to be worthy of. And I just think that that is fantastic because after seeing patients for almost 20 years, skeletal muscle is that lever that they can pull that whether they want to work out or not. There's a way to create cognitive disciplines to be able to take action when they want to or not. And it has a whole host of effects that are just critical for being able to show up in the world and do the things that you need to.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

This is so good. And I'm excited to dive into this also to your new book, the Forever Strong Playbook, because I think it gives us a roadmap, but it also tells us why. And it's really interesting. I love when you say, I'm asking you about this in a little bit, but you talk about how discipline is the new self care.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

I'm like, oh, which actually you have a lot of.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I do in some areas. I'm so disciplined when it comes to work, serving others, like contributing in big ways, obsessing over, how can I.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

It's one of the things I love.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

About like I'm very. My family. Just so many things I'm so disciplined about. And I have just never liked to work out. And I've always sort of had, you know, some people have their go to addictions, right? For some people it's watching, watching TV or scrolling the Internet or gambling or whatever it might be. For me, it's always been food and in particular junk food. And I think it's. I think that being worthy of actually living healthy, feeling really, really good, that is a new thing in my life. A big reason why I wrote Worthy as well. Because I think deep down inside I always thought, oh, well, if I take care of everyone else, if I do all these things for everyone else, that's good. But I've always sort of ignored I worthy of taking care of my body. And you know, a lot of we don't like to work out. I see you on Instagram, y'. All. If you are not following Dr. Gabrielle Ann on Instagram, follow her immediately. Because I see so many of your posts, and I'm like, okay, I get to. I get to move my body. I am blessed enough right now in this moment in time to get to move my body. And I've really started to work on. You talk a lot about mindset in your book, which I'm excited for everyone to dive into as well. But this is gonna be just to back up for a second. Cause this is gonna be very new for a lot of people listening. We have all heard and seen the. For every diet out there, we've all worried about fat. So few of us have ever thought, wait a minute, what if the thing I can control, as you said, which is starting to put movement into my life, that builds muscle? What if that actually solves all these other things? And I think that's huge. And one of the things that you say is when we focus on body fat versus muscle, it can be a recipe for self sabotage. Can you talk about that? Yeah.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

I mean, think about it. You cannot go anywhere or even open your phone without seeing a new supplement or diet ad. And part of that is because as humans, we chase novelty. It is very boring to chop wood and carry water. Chop wood and carry water. And what that means is it's very boring to implement foundational plans, for example, training exercise. It's. It can be boring. It's not necessarily fun. And having your protein in the morning or this type of diet or this type of food plan, it is boring. And if we understand that humans chase novelty, then we can actually add in strategies to overcome that. And frankly, muscle is your most important organ system. So rather than thinking about how we're going to lose fat or how we can look better in a bikini or how we can do X, Y, and Z. If we focus on skeletal muscle as the organ of longevity, because it is, number one, the only organ system, we have voluntary control. That's it. You cannot tell your heart to beat at 90 beats per minute or your thyroid to produce X number of thyroid hormones. But you can say, I'm going to contract my bicep, and that provides a ton of agency. And when we recognize that, we have to really collapse the why, why does it matter for a person individually? So for you, you're really good at servicing others. But if we can connect the why your muscle matters, then we can actually help leverage that and control the outcome. Because muscle, yes, for being strong. It's a non negotiable if you want to live long, if you want to live. If you are strong in midlife, you have a greater chance of living to 1002 and a half times Greater chance of living to 100 if you are strong in midlife.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

How do we know if we're strong and how do we measure if we have enough muscle? We need to pause for a super brief break and while we do, take a moment to share this episode with every single person that you know who this could inspire. Because this conversation can truly be the words and inspiration they need to hear today, to keep going, to remember that they matter, and to feel less alone and more enough, more connected, more inspired and more worthy. In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self worth. When you build your self worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book Worthy how to believe you are enough and transform your life for you. If you have some self doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life changing results like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back, build unshakable self love, unlearn the lies that lead to self doubt and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness, overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome, achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be? Imagine a life with zero self doubt and unshakable self worth. Get your copy of Worthy plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for [e-mail] or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you'd do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out. With Worthy, who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious and so is self belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration. Which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you delivered straight to your inbox each and every Tuesday morning from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiekernlima.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your one on one with Jamie weekly newsletter and get Ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy and love hitting your inbox. I'm your girl. [e-mail] or in the link in the show notes. Do you struggle with negative self talk? Living with a constant mental narrative that you're not good enough is exhausting. I know because I spent most of my life in that habit. The words you say to yourself about yourself are so powerful and when you learn to take control over your self talk, it's life changing and I wanted to give you a free resource that I created for you. If this is something that is could benefit your Life. It's called 5 Ways to Overcome Negative self talk and build self love. And it's a free how to guide to overcome that negative self talk to build confidence and develop unshakable self love so that you can dream big and keep going in the pursuit of your goals. Don't let self sabotaging thoughts hinder your progress any longer. It's time to rewrite the script of your life when you filled with self love, resilience and unwavering belief. If you're ready to take charge of your narrative, build unwavering confidence and empower yourself to persevere on the path to your dreams. You can grab your free guide to stop overthinking and learn to Trust yourself at jamiekernlima.com resources or click the link in the show notes below. And now more of this incredible conversation together. How do we know if we're strong and how do we measure if we have enough muscle? When most of us, we go to the doctor, a lot of people, even if they go to their annual, they're lucky if they get a few minutes of, you know, because doctors are so, so many doctors are so busy and there's so many reasons for that, even very good doctors. So for the person listening right now, who maybe and I'm gonna actually ask this question cause so many of us have been told, oh just do cardio, you know. And that's all you ever need to do or just hit a certain weight or just, just limit your caloric and take all the things. We're gonna go there, you guys. If you're, if you're wondering about, okay, wait a minute, well what do I do to build muscle? We're gonna talk about it.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

We're gonna get, we're gonna get there, but we're gonna get them to buy in.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

To muscle as the organ of Longevity. Because. Especially for women.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

So over 70% of the population does not meet the baseline criteria for exercise, which is 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise and two days a week of resistance training. And so that's the minimum to not be worse than yesterday. But over 70%, we're not even meeting that. So that means people are not bought in to the fact that muscle is critical and we have to reshape the conversation. And, you know, in science, we're getting there, but the mainstream is still so far removed from understanding that muscle is really the focal point.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I was listening to you and Huberman have a conversation, and everything is just so obvious in the science world, I feel like anytime I hear different research being presented, different seminars, but on the mainstream level. On the mainstream level, you're the person bringing this conversation to mainstream, which I think is so important. I love the work you're doing with Maria Shriver. I love the work you're doing with so many people on bringing this topic forward. So, okay, so how do we. So the person who's listening right now or watching us right now, how right now do they know, okay, am I strong enough? And how do I know if I have enough muscle? I'm gonna ask you that. But really quick. One thing you just said before. I forget. You said the amount of exercise we need every week and the amount of resistance training. And when you say resistance training, do you mean weight, like lifting weights? Explain what both of those things are and exactly how much time we need to be putting in and how 70%.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Of us aren't meeting this right now, which is shocking. But as soon as you move your body, you're actually improving the health of skeletal muscle. So I want people to understand that as they're listening to this, they should probably also be doing pushups right now. All kidding aside, when you go to the doctor's office, they measure body fat. And the reason we measure body fat. Well, number one, it's easy. We haven't even recognized that skeletal muscle mass matters. It's really been body fat percentage. If you go to your doctor, your doctor is not likely going to be thinking, okay, your body is 40% muscle mass. You're doing great. It's an important distinction how someone knows if they have enough skeletal muscle. Well, dexa, which is the way that people typically think. Which is the body scan. Exactly. Which is a body scan.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And they make a scale.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Exactly. Yes. And people will think that that is a great measure. DEXA is a great measure for body fat percentage. And bone, but it estimates the rest. The rest of the lean tissue, which includes water and organs and glycogen, which is the carbohydrate that is stored in your body. It doesn't do a great job at measuring skeletal muscle. I want to say this because I don't want people to be discouraged that, number one, maybe they can't get their muscle mass measured. But number two, to recognize that we're still not great at a population level at being able to measure our skeletal muscle. And the gold standard is actually MRI or ct. Nobody's doing that.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Wow.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

But what we do know is that you can also look at the health of your skeletal muscle through your blood work. And I'm going to share how you do that now. The health of skeletal muscle. Here's what I would say. The more muscle mass you have, the better your body is. Typically 40% muscle. Maybe it's 30, you know, maybe it's 40. For women, it seems to be a little bit less. But as you age and as you are thinking about, how do I improve muscle mass? This is why cardio becomes a little less important, because cardiovascular activity doesn't per se, build muscle mass versus doing some type of resistance training, which is providing a stimulus. And that could be done at home. You could start with yoga. You could start with pushups on your knees. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it does have to get done. And so you ask me, how do I know if I have enough muscle? And I would say the more muscle mass you have, the better. Could you get a dexa or could you do a in body scale? It is great to have something to compare it to. And the earlier and newer you are to training, the faster you're going to get results. In fact, it's extraordinary because it's very motivating. And can you imagine if you shift the idea of weight loss, you're no longer even thinking about losing fat. How exciting would that be? And how liberating would that be? If you are looking at the scale and you're like, you know what? I gained a little weight. But you're starting to feel better and you're starting to have more energy. It's challenging because I have a ton of patients right now. I still see patients, they don't want to get on a scale. They don't even want to know because it's been so disheartening year after year.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Mm. But they feel better the more muscle they put on.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yes.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah. And then you look at all the science and the data that the more muscle you put on supports literally every part of your body. How you feel, your mood, your cognitive ability, your everything. So, okay, when you say, you said.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activity.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay. And tell us what fits in that category? What fits in that category?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Any. Okay, well, that would be 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. It could be, you know, walking, where you're getting your heart rate up. It doesn't have to be anything. You don't have to go to the gym. You don't have to go to a CrossFit class. 30 minutes a day of some kind of movement. The more intense you do that movement, the less you need.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

For example, I don't have a ton of time today, so I will take 20 minutes to combine my resistance training and my cardiovascular activity.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And you'll do it in 20 minutes?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Do it in 20 minutes, yeah. People think, gosh, it's going to take hours. I don't have an hour a day to exercise. And I would argue, well, you don't really have time to be sick. And we know that skeletal muscle is protective against all cause mortality, meaning any risk of death. The more healthy muscle mass you have, the more protected you are in your life. So you can't really afford to not do it. But you can do it in 30 minutes or less a day. And that becomes extraordinary. The harder you work in that 30 minutes, the less time you have to spend. And whether it's walking, whether it's going up and down stairs, you could jump rope, there's a million different ways to do it. And there's only one way not to.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Do it when you are. Causette I mentioned earlier, I love your gym videos. Sometimes I just sit there. I'm not even gonna tell you what I'm eating or doing while I'm watching your gym videos on Instagram. But they're very inspiring. And like I said, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. Six weeks.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

I'm actually gonna keep you accountable.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, well, we text, so if you're just tuning in, we're friends in real life. I just love you. And you got in late last night, flying in from Houston, so grateful you're here. And so I was going to ask you, is, like, on a day like this where you are packed all day, your schedule's packed, maybe you can't make it to the gym, maybe you have 20 minutes because someone at home right now might be juggling three babies and a whole lot going on, or this or that. Or their work schedule's crazy. If you have 20 minutes and you don't have a gym and you just have your hotel room or your bedroom or your break room at work, what would you do in those 20 minutes?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Now, when I got into your house last night, I had one bag and you go, gabrielle, where's your luggage? You're here for a week. And for those of you who are watching or listening, I have one carry on suitcase and a backpack. I have my gym equipment in that backpack.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Wow.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Bands, Resistance bands. And I use two type of bands. There's one to help me with assisted push ups. And again, these are very inexpensive. One band I use is called. It's called the Slingshot. And I was showing Maria actually brought one for Maria Shriver, our mutual friend. And for women, upper body strength is really important. And it allows you to do push ups without having to go on your knees or without having to hurt your shoulders. And I will bust out easily. I don't want to say 100, but I usually do around 100 pushups a day. And I break it up 10 sets of 10. And this helps me. And it's a band that allows you to actually do the push ups without injury. Also a resistance band with handles. You just pack it. It's so easy. And that's what I'll do.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So we'll put on the. If you're listening to this in an audio platform, we're gonna put a little video of this in the video version. But also, will you send me the link to this? We'll link to the ones that you recommend that you do. They're very links to all your sites.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

It's also very inexpensive. Yeah, normally I travel with a jump rope. I didn't bring a jump rope this time because I didn't have room in my hilarious bag. So I had two resistance bands that I can bring. Okay, Anybody can do that.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And so you'll do resistance bands with push ups. So you have a 20 minute window. And what else do you do? 100 push ups, squats.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

So I'll do some air squats and then I'll do some upper body rows with this band. You can pull it and push it. And again, I cover all of this in the playbook. But these are. I try to get my whole body active. People can do air squats, people.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And that's just where you just stand there and you use your own body weight to do a squat.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Exactly.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And what I love in the playbook is you have illustrations on everything too. I Love that your illustrations have your tattoos on them. I love all of it.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

I mean, I made a book that I wanted.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yes.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

We were. Okay, you guys, we were walking in. I think this is so good. I was saying to Gabrielle, you know, if you could just get your hands on that. So star quarterbacks playbook. Right. It's priceless. And you've now written what you call the playbook, which is so good to a six week plan to sharpen your mind, strengthen your body, get healthy at any age. And you said it's the playbook you wish you had.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yes. There's a lot of information. You and I talk about this. There is so much in the information landscape. It's bonkers. You know, as I was writing this book, do you remember Dr. Atkins, I'm sure you've heard. Oh, Dr. Atkins, I have done every.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Diet on the planet starting at like slim fast when I was like 14, you know, thinking that was a, you know. Yeah.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Dr. Atkins was the absolute innovator of this higher protein diet. And his diet actually wasn't high protein. It was more of a ketogenic diet. It took him a lifetime to get his message out there. 10 million copies were sold and one out of 11Americans were on his plan. Nowadays you can open up TikTok and do what he did in an entire career in two days. There's positives to that, meaning the velocity at which information spreads, but there's also negatives to that because there is so much confusing and conflicting information that having a credible source that is evidence based is critical. While you can always get stronger for someone who's listening to this, it's never too late to start. We see that you can build muscle and strength in your 90s.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I love this. Never too late to start.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

It's never too late to start. But why not mitigate all, all those painful years by having an evidence based, foundational playbook that people don't have to read a ton of science. You know, science can be boring. I joke and I'm up reading about amino acids at night and people are like, gosh, you know, we have a little girls group and you know, everyone is reading, I don't know, stuff that are interesting and magazines and I've got this amino acid textbook and yes, it can be boring and heavy for people, but just because there's so much information, we can streamline that. And that's why I made the playbook and that's why I made these illustrations. You don't have to keep chasing novelty. And if you're aware that that is a human weakness. It's just a vulnerability. Then you can take action to put disciplines in place and commit. So what I would want people to do is if they are on a plan or if they're going to pick up the playbook, is that they just do that. There's no more scrolling about health information for six weeks. Because in those six weeks, people will get stronger, they'll lose body fat just by proxy. They'll feel more empowered and ultimately they'll have physical freedom and physical and mental freedom. It's a bi directional relationship.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

When we gain muscle, do we automatically lose fat? Do we automatically burn more calories? What automatically? Because we all love the easy button. So I feel like.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Which we have now, we have an easy button now which is called GLP1s.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Which we'll talk about that.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes. I'm so excited to dive into GLP1s but just for the person going, okay, because a lot of people like immediate things. But, but from a science perspective, when we gain muscle, if we have more muscle, does our body automatically burn more calories? And do we typically lose fat just because we've gained muscle?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Typically, yes. Your body composition improves. Not always. I mean, you know, when I think about these Powerlifters that are trying to put on weight, they're eating tons and tons of food.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

They're also lifting really heavy. They are really focused on building mass and part of that is fat mass and part of that is muscle. But when someone is focused on building muscle, here's what's going to happen. The moment that they choose to do it, right away, in an instant, they will improve the health of that tissue with the first rep. Because think about muscle as a suitcase. You open up your suitcase and you pack a bunch of clothes in there. And let's say you're going on a trip for four days, but you pack for four weeks. And our diet and our mismatch between our muscle is. That's kind of the analogy. So let me explain. If you are eating too many carbohydrates and too much food, the primary site for those carbs to be disposed of, because you have to put it somewhere, it goes in skeletal muscle. If you are not exercising, then you're never depleting that carbohydrate from your muscle. Each day you're eating more and more carbohydrate. It has nowhere to go because that muscle is already full. But if you do some kind of physical activity, could be pushups, it could be walking, you will start to take the clothes out of that muscle, take that clothes out of that suitcase, take those carbohydrates out of that muscle so it frees up space. And that can be done with one workout.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

When you say resistance training twice a week for a lot of people that term resistance training, what does that mean exactly? We need to pause for a super brief break and while we do, take a moment to share this episode with every single person that you know who this could inspire. Because this conversation can truly be the words and inspiration they need to hear today to keep going, to remember that they matter, and to feel less alone and more enough, more connected, more inspired and more worthy. Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious and so is self belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration. Which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also love letter to you delivered straight to your inbox each and every Tuesday morning from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiecarnlima.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your one on one with Jamie weekly newsletter and get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy and love hitting your inbox. I'm your girl. [e-mail] or in the link in the show notes. I am so excited for this book.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

You know why? Because it's going to save so many people.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

It's going to save people.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Were the your new beautiful book worthy? Get this book.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

This book.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

I'm telling you it's a book that can change anybody's life who picks it up. Anybody who's ever felt that they were.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Not good enough didn't measure up.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Something's missing in your life.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I have to tell you.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

It's powerful. It's happening. It's worthy.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Imagine what would you do if you fully believed in you. I went from struggling with waitress facing non stop rejection to founder of IT Cosmetics, a billion dollar company by learning how to overcome self doubt and believe I am worthy of my hopes and dreams. And I'm sharing how you can too in my new book how to believe you are enough and transform your life. If you're ready to truly trust yourself and break through that barrier of self doubt and know that where you come from or even where you are right now doesn't determine where you're going, then Worthy is for you. It's time to go from doubting you're enough to knowing you're enough. It's time to step into all of who you are and into the person you were born to be. And it's time to believe that you are worthy of it. Because in life, we don't become what we want. We become what we believe we're worthy of. Join the worthy movement today by grabbing your copy of Worthy anywhere. Books are sold. Then head to worthybook.com now for free gifts including my five part course on becoming unstoppable and my 95 page worthy workbook action plan that teaches you how to implement the tools from the book into your real life. Right now.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Worthy is groundbreaking.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yo Worthy, you are worthy. This book is gonna change lives. This book literally will teach you how to actually feel worthy so that you can have the strength, you can have the confidence. The lessons in this book and the.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Strategies will change your life.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

You will never be the same again. After you read this book.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Jamie's book Worthy is a must read. It is going to inspire you, empower you, give you the hope that you need and the kick in the rear end that you deserve.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Jamie's book Worthy is incredible. The gifts are going away, but they're all free right now on worthybook.com and now more of this incredible conversation together. When you say resistance training twice a week for a lot of people that term resistance training, what does that mean exactly? What falls into resistance training? For the person at home going, does that mean I need to get dumbbells in the gym? Does that mean like what exactly falls into resistance training so everyone can go, okay, I think I want to add this to my life because I'm going to tell you, I would say most of my life and I have been around. I mean, I have dated bodybuilders, I have. I mean, you know, this is not. The idea of muscle's not new to me and yet. But I'm embarrassed to say that most of my life my focus has been like, okay, if I can just get my weight down, if I can just lose fat, if I can just be on this easy button diet of the moment. And so I am so delighted that this conversation is changing mainstream, thanks to you, where it's like, oh wow, the power of muscle. The power of muscle. So for the person who's like, okay, I want to add resistance training in my life. What does that mean and what falls into that bucket?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

This is a great question. And thank you so much for clarifying. Because resistance training is moving anything against force. So what does this mean? It means when you are doing a bicep curl, let's say someone picks up a weight and they are moving their body against some kind of resistance, it's an external force. Well, while that matters and what else falls into that? So resistance training is exactly what we think about. It's a challenge to move your body. It's against some external force. But I am going to throw something called isometric exercises in there because I think that they can be very important and easy to do. So I'll circle back to that. When we think about resistance training, it's our body, because our body has load, our body has weight. Yoga could be a form of stretch and resistance. We've all done the upward cobra, downward dog into a push up. That is a form of resistance training. If you move a weight, again, a band. Using a band to do any kind of activity, that is resistance training, body weight exercises. That is also resistance, meaning using your.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Body weight to just stand and do a squat.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

That is resistance exercise. Did that answer that?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah. Yeah. So this is really good to know because I think some people may think like, what is that? Or is resistance training just do I need to do heavy weights? And it's like, okay, weights fall into that, right? Weightlifting falls into that. Bands, you're saying resistance training bands, using your body weight for squats or push ups or, you know, anything that might use your own, your own body weight and yoga, if you're using it. So this is really good to know. And all of those that fall into resistance are what helps us build muscle. Is that right?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

That's exactly right.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay. Okay, got it.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

And that's really important to understand. And then cardiovascular activity is anything where you're getting your heart rate up, right? And it could be fast walking or it could be slow, steady state movement. All of those contribute to cardiovascular activity. And just cognitively we know it, our heart rate goes up.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So I want everyone to understand too why this playbook is so valuable. Why your entire life's work so far has been just momentous in starting this whole mainstream conversation over the power of muscle. And it's fun to watch the whole science community and so many other doctors jump on board and agree. And also so many people that are saying that they've seen huge results in their life. And there are different areas, whether it's preventing cognitive impair, I mean, just so many reasons that they want to start focusing on muscle now. And one thing you Know that we'll dive deeper into all the nuances, by the way, of health trends, of exactly what to eat, all the things and why you need the playbook as well. But for men, what would you just say is a handful of benefits for women on gaining muscle and a handful of benefits for men on gaining muscle that they might have no idea are even part of what happens when you gain muscle?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Well, for women, the healthy skeletal muscle, more healthy skeletal muscle is better fertility. That's a really big deal for women. Healthy skeletal muscle for women will help future proof her body for menopause because it's kind of like Christmas tax day. Menopause is coming, God willing, for all of us. Should we live that long? It will come. And the more fit we are going into that, the better we're going to be. Muscle is a prevention for osteoporosis. Also, who doesn't want to have a better metabolism? And it also helps us think clearer. I mean, I'm sold. The organ of longevity. Muscle will improve chances of fertility. It will improve bone health, it will improve brain function, it will improve overall mobility and metabolism.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And for men who are like, I used to work out all the time, now I do pickleball or cardio type things like that here and there. What would surprise men maybe they're in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s. What would surprise men that would happen to them about starting to add resistance training and build some more muscle?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

We recently published a paper on muscle mass and sexual function. If you want better erections and you want a better sexual function, then you need healthy skeletal muscle. I think that we've gotten the attention of all men right now.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

And we just actually did this review. We looked at all the research and the more healthy skeletal muscle mass a man has, the better his sexual function. 40% of men by the age of 40 will have erectile dysfunction.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

40%.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

50% of men by 50 will have erectile dysfunction. If you want to protect sexual function, you need to have healthy skeletal muscle.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So yeah, you just said, I mean, yeah, that's the reason. And then also, can you also share and you know, I know you do a lot of amazing work with Maria Shriver, who we both love so much. And I just feel like she's one of those people that walks the walk way more than talks the talk. And that is so rare.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Very inspiring.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

She's just like congruent and just good and is like one of the people out there changing the world every single day and not even broadcasting it. Like it's Just, she's so good and wise and such a great leader. But when we talk about things like Alzheimer's and dementia and cognitive impair and brain fog and you know, for a lot of people, like, why am I forgetting things? Or maybe they're the stage of their life where they're like, is this caused by menopause? Is this perimenopause? Am I just getting older? When you talk about, you know, cognitive function, can you talk about any sort of like new science based stuff that talks about how muscle really, adding muscle can really impact and prevent a lot of that?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

This is how I first got connected to Maria. I did my fellowship in geriatrics and nutritional sciences and part of my work was running a memory and aging clinic where I took care of Alzheimer's patients. We rounded on Alzheimer's and Alzheimer's, there's a few variations of dementia. And I worked in nursing homes where we were taking care of these patients. And that is actually why I'm doing the work that I'm doing, because nobody is prepared for what that looks like. I don't know if you've ever met anyone with Alzheimer's, but it is devastating for families. And the project that I was working on was looking at body composition and brain function. And again, I was kind of touching on this. I, I always try to stay positive because I want people to feel motivated, not like, oh, wow, that's depressing, and then I'll go work out. But when I scan people's brains, the lower the brain volume, typically the more heavy they were. So basically the wider the waistline, the lower the brain volume.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Interesting.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Alzheimer's is thought of as type 3 diabetes of the brain. What is good for muscle is good for brain. Muscle controls our metabolism, that metabolism controls or influences our brain metabolism. That's one part. Again, Alzheimer's is considered type 3 diabetes of the brain. A portion of the brain, roughly anywhere between 30 to 40% of the brain, is for movement, physical movement. If we are not engaging in physical movement, we are not exercising in a meaningful way. That part of the brain, the body and brain are deeply connected. When you think about executive function, the ability to look at numbers and do tasks, the better your vascular health, which comes from cardiovascular activity, the better your executive function comes. We know that the brain and the muscle are not disconnected. But one of the best ways to control and help preserve brain function, aside from sleep, is cardiovascular activity and resistance training.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

It's fascinating because a lot of people put in a lot of time and effort thinking like, do I need to take. Do I need to eat more blueberries? Do I need to eat more? You know, all the things they're thinking about, which can be very important. Of course. And I think that a lot of people don't have this in their life right now. They do not have resistance training. And the thought about their muscle in their life, even if they're really prioritizing nutrition or health. And I'm just thinking about, you know, a lot of mornings I will do a walk. And in the playbook, you talk about a lot of different strategies, but one of the things in there you talk about is, you know, your workout might be a hundred pushups, 100 sit ups and 100 air squats. Like that's one of the things listed. Right. And I'm thinking 100 pushups, which you can build up to. Right? You can build up to. Or you start with the knee ones maybe. Or another one is like on the counter. If you. If you can't do a full push up yet. Right. Put your hands on the kitchen counter.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

And that's resistance training.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Resistance training. That is right.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Again, you're pushing against resistance. You're pushing against some kind of load.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Well, I'm going to add. I was just thinking like an easy add, I think is, you know, for anyone who does a morning walk or does a walk at any point, you.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Could add a weighted vest.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, add a weighted vest.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

You could add ankle weights, wrist weights.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And that helps.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

It helps. It's adding extra load.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay, here's a very elementary question that maybe someone else out there will relate to. If you have fat on you, does that act as a waiting vest?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

This is a tricky question. I'm going to answer this in two ways.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

The first answer is yes.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay?

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Yes. The second answer is sometimes what we see is there is fat, not only externally, but fat that infiltrates into skeletal muscle.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Right.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

What does that look like?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

We're organs.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Exactly.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Right.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

If the audience can think of skeletal muscle as a filet, not to gross you out, but you want your muscle to look like a filet.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Like filet mignon.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Exactly.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Okay.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

You do not want it to look like wagyu beef or a marbled ribeye.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

A marble. I was just thinking a marbled rib eye.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

And sometimes what we see is if someone is.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Or bacon.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Or bacon. That's exactly. We don't want our muscle to look like that. Yeah, but that can happen. But the counterpoint to that is you see a lot of linemen or people that are heavier but are still very active. They have healthy skeletal muscle. And I want people to understand that even the act of doing exercise, whether their body composition or body fat changes at all, they are improving the quality and the health of their skeletal muscle.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

That's so good to know. That's big because you're saying even if the scale doesn't move, or maybe your body composition doesn't move, but you're actually incorporating resistance training than the quality and healthier skeletal muscle which impacts everything else.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

Everything. Yeah. And then I want to mention something else. We are seeing a huge menopause movement and I'm so grateful for that. There is hormone replacement therapy.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes.

[Dr. Gabrielle Lyon]

However, in order to really move body composition, you must have the foundational diet and exercise piece correct. Same with the use of GLP1s. Because what is going to happen is people are going to be a smaller version of themselves and over time that is not going to mean a healthier version.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

This conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is so incredible. We made it into more than one part. And if you want to optimize your weight, I do. Sharpen your mind and become the most healthy and fit version of yourself. Dr. Lyon is sharing how to live forever strong and the new science on exactly what to eat, how to exercise and how to future proof your body. You're not going to want to miss this incredible part two of our conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon. Coming up next in the next episode of the Jamie Kerr and Lima Show. Remember, this episode is not just for you and me. Please share this with every single person that you know because it can impact and change their life too. And if you love today's episode, please click on the subscribe or Follow button for the show on the app you're listening to it on or watching it on. And if it added value to your life, if you could, please give it a rating or review. We love a good 5 star. I would be so grateful. And again, please share this episode with everyone you believe in. Share it with another person in your life who could benefit from it. Maybe someone you know is making a change in their health and their fitness or in their life right now. Please post this episode and share it with others online or in your community who just might need the words and tools and lessons in this episode today. You never know whose life you're meant to change today by sharing this episode. And thank you so much for joining me today. Before you go, I want to share some words with you that couldn't be more true. You right now, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy. You're worthy of your greatest hopes, your wildest dreams and all the unconditional love in the world. And it is an honor to welcome you to each and every episode of the Jamie Kern Lima show here. I hope you'll come as you are, heal where you need, blossom what you choose, journey toward your calling and stay as long as you'd like. Because you belong here. You are worthy, you are loved, you are love and I love you. And I cannot wait to join you on the next episode of the Jamie Kerr and Lima Show. In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self worth. When you build your self worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy how to believe you are enough and transform your life for you. If you have some self doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life changing results like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back, build unshakable self love, unlearn the lies that lead to self doubt and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness, overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome, achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be? Imagine a life with zero self doubt and unshakable self worth. Get your copy of Worthy plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for [e-mail] or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you'd do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out. With Worthy, who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious and so is self belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration. Which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you delivered straight to your inbox from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiecarnlima.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your one on one with Jamie weekly newsletter and get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy and love hitting your inbox. I'm your girl. [e-mail] or in the link in the show Notes and please note, I'm not a licensed therapist and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.