As people get older, their muscle mass shrinks and strength and power go down. This can result in reduced mobility and a higher risk of injury. The process also starts earlier than you might think.
But you can slow it down with strength training.
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Age-related muscle mass is medically known as sarcopenia, comparable to osteopenia and bone osteoporosis. However, it receives far less attention. It can begin around age 35 and occur at a rate of 1-2 percent per year for the typical person.
After age 60, it can accelerate to around 3 percent per year. Those who don’t combat the loss with strength training can lose 4-6 pounds of muscle mass per year. This is also weight that you may notice on the sale because it’s being replaced with fat.
The attack of muscle loss is a two-headed monster: fast twitch muscle fibers, which give you bursts of power, are lost at a higher rate than slow twitch muscles. This means you’re not only getting weaker but slower and less powerful.
The weaker your muscles get, the faster you can lose independence. Everyday activities like getting dressed, walking, cleaning, and shopping can become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to perform independently.
Weak muscles also make it harder to recover from an illness or injury. In fact, some numbers suggest that disability rates are 1.5 to 4.6 times higher for people older people with moderate to severe sarcopenia than those with normal muscle mass.
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Weakness also makes it harder to balance and move, boosting fall risk.
The best way to combat muscle loss is with regular weight training. Performing exercises using bodyweight, resistance bands, kettlebells, dumbbells and barbells, or machines can all help you maintain and build muscle mass with age.
Work with weights two or three times per week, targeting all your major muscle groups – legs, back, shoulders, chest, core, and arms. If you need help with technique, contact a fitness professional or view tutorials online.
Sarah began her interest in nutritional healing at an early age. After going through health problems and becoming frustrated with the conventional ways doctors wanted to treat her illness (which were not working), she took it upon herself to find alternative treatments. This led her to revolutionize her own diet to help her get healthier and tackle her health problems. She began treating her illness by living a more balanced lifestyle through healthy food choices, exercise and other alternative medicine such as meditation. This total positive lifestyle change led her to earn a diploma in Nutritional Therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London, England. Today, Sarah enjoys helping others by teaching healthy lifestyle changes through her personal consultations and with her regular contributions to the Doctors Health Press. Also, passionate about following her dreams in life, Sarah moved to France and lived in Paris for over 5 years where she earned a certification in beadwork and embroidery from Lesage (an atelier owned by Chanel). She then went on to be a familiar face sitting front row and reporting from Paris Fashion Week. Sarah continues to practice some of the cultural ways of life she learned while in Europe. They enjoy their food, and take the time to relax and enjoy many of life’s little moments. These are life lessons she is glad to have brought back home with her.
