Nobody likes getting older. And one of the biggest reasons is that our muscles become weaker, making the activities we used to enjoy more difficult... and less enjoyable.
But what if you didn't have to get weaker as you grow older? What if you could become stronger?
Celebrity fitness trainer Tony Horton says he's found a way to turn the impossible into a reality - his reality, which he is now using to help thousands of Americans remain healthy and active as they hit middle age and beyond.
"It's actually a lot simpler than you might think," Horton, who is 61, told us. "It's a method anyone can do that takes about one or two minutes a day. And within a very short period of time, you're going to feel stronger, and probably healthier, than you have in years."
Almost everyone begins experiencing some degree of age-related muscle loss starting between ages 40-50 (the scientific term for this phenomenon is sarcopenia).
It's perfectly natural and nothing to worry about. However, it can make it harder to exercise or even perform routine activities you take for granted - like playing with kids or pets, or carrying groceries.
On average, people lose about 0.5%-1% of muscle mass each year. While that may sound minor, it can add up over years and decades. Increased frailty is a big reason why elderly people are more prone to falling down, which can lead to prolonged bed rest or hospital stays, which can mean even more muscle loss, in what becomes a vicious downward spiral.
Health experts have long believed age-related muscle loss is simply an inevitable aspect of getting older, with the only way to slow it down being to increase dietary protein and do more exercise.
But Tony Horton says he's found a much more effective way to fight age-related muscle loss - and even build new muscle - that has nothing to do with exercise.
"This came as quite a shock to me, because I'm the biggest workout guy on the planet," said the man who has trained Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks, to name a few of his celebrity clients.
"But the results are undeniable. Using my method, it is now possible to, at the very least, slow down age-related muscle loss. Best case scenario, you actually have a chance to get into the best shape of your life.
"And it couldn't be easier to do!" he laughs.
In fact, the results have been so remarkable, Horton is now the subject of a short documentary detailing exactly how his body-strengthening method works. It is online and free for the public to view and share.
