Healthy Muscles At Any Age
By Mark Misner of Body By Design
As you are well aware, it does not take much to get me excited when it comes to health information that I can share with you. This month I will relay facts that you should consider as you make your daily and long-term health decisions.
First of all, let’s discuss a common symptom of the aging process; loss of the ability to do every day physical tasks. I believe we have become much too acceptant of this decline in physical independence. In your 30s, you and your spouse could move the couch as you rearranged your living room. In the later decades of 40-50-plus, you now have your teenager and their friends move that couch. We have all seen older adults who can’t open a jar of pickles or have to be assisted when getting up from a chair. Will that be you in 5 or 10 years?
So what happens to our muscles in the aging process? The medical term is sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is to muscles as osteoporosis is to bones. Sarcopenia is the loss of valuable muscle tissue from inactivity as much as it is from aging. You do not have to settle for the obvious resulting loss in physical ability and independence. Most of us don’t want to age in the same manner as our grandparents and parents.
The best news is you simply do not have to accept sarcopenia and the resulting loss of physical capacity. Extensive research has shown that adults can gain muscular strength at ages well beyond their 90s. The Fountain of Youth might be a myth (or wishful thinking), but the key to maintaining the health of your youth is consistent, challenging weight training. As the research has shown, age is not a limiting factor when it comes to developing enhanced muscular strength and the corresponding increase in physical ability and independence.
I strongly encourage two to three safely executed sessions of weight training activity each week. Surprisingly, extensive equipment is not required for positive results. Many of the exercises can be completed in a relatively small space in your home without any equipment. However, an investment in developing knowledge of the proper technique is time and money well spent. Seek out the professional direction of a highly experienced personal trainer. (Remember to check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.)
In the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for Strength Training for Older Adults, they state that “people with health concerns—including heart disease or arthritis—often benefit the most from an exercise program that includes lifting weights a few times each week.” The CDC lists the following proven benefits of strength training regularly; arthritis relief, strengthening of bone, proper weight maintenance, improved glucose control, healthy state of mind, sleep improvement, healthy heart tissue, and restoration of balance and reduction of falls. One study in women 80 years of age and older showed a 40% reduction in falls with simple strength and balance training. That benefit alone translates into a large quality of life advantage over the issues associated with the normal aging process.
Start weight training and you will love the results. Regardless of your age, get started today. Have a very healthy day!
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