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Maintain Your Muscle Mass As You Age With These 5 Simple Tips

Sarcopenia, the muscle equivalent of osteoporosis, is age-related muscle deterioration. It begins when you turn 40 and causes a decrease of approximately 1% per year. At 50, increase your speed, so unless you start with a good amount of muscle mass, you could see a muscle loss of up to 50% by the time you are 75, really! However, there is good news: you can avoid muscle weakness by starting right now, today.

1) Move or lose it! Stretch and exercise!

Don’t just sit there – move it, fold it, lift it, or work with it. During TV commercials, do squats to strengthen your hamstrings and quadriceps. Keep a set of low-weight dumbbells or resistance bands next to your office chair and do a couple of arm reps every hour. If you don’t quite know how to get started, hire a personal trainer (one who has experience working with ‘mature’ adults!) For an hour to establish a personalized lifting routine for you. “Without question, resistance exercise is the most powerful intervention to address muscle loss,” says Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Exercise increases strength, aerobic capacity, and muscle protein synthesis and should be your first line of defense in curbing sarcopenia.

2) Eat quality protein!

Protein repairs and rebuilds muscle fiber. Not sure how much protein to eat per day? Take your body weight in pounds, divide it in half and subtract 10. If you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 65 grams of protein per day, more or less evenly distributed between your meals and snacks. (Note that if you have kidney problems, check with your doctor first.) The type of protein you eat also counts. The best sources are grass-fed beef, whey protein, lentils, wild fish like salmon and tuna, and organic chicken.

3) Increase your omega-3 intake!

Simply put, omega-3 fatty acids influence muscle protein metabolism and mitochondrial physiology in aging human beings. The aim of a 2011 study was to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults. The results showed that dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increased the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults, so buy those omega-3-enriched eggs and add some flaxseed and fish oils to your meals. Omega 3 Essential Oils

4) Eat a Mediterranean-style diet!

Lower your intake of inflammatory foods, such as high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, and processed foods, and increase your intake of green leafy vegetables, berries, monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, walnuts, and salmon. Eliminate simple sugars and increase complex carbohydrates. In other words, eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. An easy way to do this is to shop in the outside aisles of your grocery store – that’s where the good lives!

5) Look at the drink and quit smoking !!

Alcohol can weaken muscles if consumed in excess. However, some of the healthiest people in the world consume red wine on a daily basis without any ill effects. Today, the general rule of thumb is to limit yourself to two alcoholic drinks per day for a man and one for a woman. As for smoking, you’ve heard all the reasons why you shouldn’t, so just don’t. We are amazed that there are still people who continue to burn their money while inhaling it!

In short, do your stretching, endurance and eat well exercises, and your muscle deterioration should be minimal.

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