Why we must focus on muscular mass as we age

Instead than focusing on losing weight, fitness should be about gaining muscle.

Everyone, when they start improving their diet and exercise routine, seems to have weight loss as their number one goal. But it’s natural to lose muscle mass as you get older; this includes strength, agility, endurance, and, in the worst instances, mobility.

Developing a strong muscular mass is of paramount importance as we age, according to this sequence of thoughts. This would provide a higher standard of living and forestall the onset of age-related chronic disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease.

The key to living independently, taking care of ourselves without major inconvenience, and making the most of our retirement years is developing and maintaining our muscles, according to American geriatrician Gabrielle Lyon, who has been trying to convey this message to her patients for years. Lyon’s treatments and book “The Muscle Revolution” center on this topic.

It is normal to be self-obsessed with one’s physical looks when one is younger. As long as our bodies are regular, slender, or toned, good behaviors take a back place. Priority is given to aesthetics. But, a gradual decrease of muscle mass is a normal part of aging after the age of 30. The BBC reports that this loss can reach 2% per year once you hit 50.

Although aging is the primary cause of this process, sarcopenia can be accelerated or even caused by other habits such a lack of physical activity or a diet that is imbalanced and lacking in protein. According to Lyon, this is one area where a lack of muscle can be more harmful than excess fat.

It is important to note that these processes are interdependent; when muscles are lost, fat is typically put on their place, which has repercussions on metabolism, weakens the body, and limits movement. Muscles require more energy even when at rest than any other part of the body, therefore people who are able to keep their muscular mass will have an easier time burning fat.

Engaging in physical activity is the most sensible course of action. But exercising as often or with as much vigor as you did when you were younger is just not feasible as you become older. Because of this, it’s more challenging for seniors to lead healthy lifestyles, since they obviously don’t have the stamina they once did.

If you want to bulk up, says Dr. Lyon, you don’t need to do any special workouts; all you have to do is “muscle failure.” Tell me what I’m looking at. When you push yourself to your muscular limit during an exercise, you have achieved failure. In particular, this strategy enables elderly persons to exercise without resorting to excessively heavy weights or reps, which is beneficial for everyone.

Our routine should revolve around being aware of our limitations and not pushing ourselves too hard, tailoring our efforts to our current state of health. After a particular age, it’s best to consult an expert in physical education or physiotherapy for advice. As a result, we are better able to devise a strategy that will keep us safe from training-related falls and injuries.

Gaining muscular mass with regular exercise is also a possibility. Exercises such as mopping the floor, taking a stroll, using the stairs instead of the elevator, and lifting heavy things to strengthen and balance your core are easy to incorporate into your everyday schedule. Similarly, building muscle is best complemented with a healthy diet rich in protein.

“Getting back in shape is far easier than starting from scratch,” Gabrielle Lyon said. The sooner you begin, the better. The reason for this is because if we begin training and eating healthily at a young age, for reasons other than vanity, our muscles will have memory for these things and our metabolism will move faster.

Muscle mass increases resistance to disease, mobility in old age, and the absence of discomfort, all of which have a major impact on people’s quality of life; hence, inactivity should not be an option for anyone.

Why we must focus on muscular mass as we age

Instead than focusing on losing weight, fitness should be about gaining muscle.

By ki0nk

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