Muscle is key to good health – here’s how to keep it in middle age and beyond.health

Almost all cells, organs and biological processes, which are barely noticeable at first, get a little worse every year during our lifetime, starting around the age of 30. is what you know. agingFor most of us, loss of strength and muscle mass are some of the first and most obvious age-related changes we see. (Please also read: 4 daily habits that speed up aging

This may start as just a few minor sores, but over time, lack of muscle mass can lead to many problems, including poor balance, weakness, and loss of independence. It is also associated with a myriad of health problems, including an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even dementia.

Researchers haven’t fully figured out why we lose muscle mass as we age, but the good news is that regular exercise can help counteract this effect, slowing down this inevitable muscle loss. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of preventable diseases, keep the body functioning well into old age, and even improve immune function. It has been.

Given how important muscle is to our health, the best way to keep it going past the age of 30 is to keep moving.

But let’s say you haven’t exercised regularly for several years, or someone who has never done muscle-building exercises before.

First and foremost, remember that aging doesn’t mean you need to avoid strenuous exercise.

Our study suggested that young and older men recovered in a similar manner to heavy muscle-building resistance training, as long as the training was tailored to each participant’s fitness level.

However, it’s important to consider your abilities before you start exercising. A common mistake made by people who haven’t trained for years (or decades) is trying to do the same thing as before or overdoing it in their first workout. This can lead to injury, so it’s important to build up your training gradually.

Realistically, the best training plans to follow are the NHS physical activity recommendations for 18-65 year olds. This means you should aim to be physically active most days and do muscle-building exercises at least two days a week.

But what kind of muscle-building exercises should you do? There are actually a myriad of different types of resistance exercises to choose from, all more or less as beneficial as the others.

A cliché that people immediately come up with is big, muscular people lifting heavy weights in the gym, but there are plenty of other options.

So if you prefer hard work while gardening to bodyweight exercises like Pilates, using resistance bands, or lifting barbells, you should make it a goal to do it twice a week.

Having fun is very important, especially when it means sticking with a new exercise routine.

Endurance-based exercise (walking, running, cycling, etc.) is also very effective in many ways besides building muscle and improving heart health. There is also a very clear relationship between longevity and daily light physical activity.

However, it is important not to overdo the good. Especially high-intensity resistance-based training is important. Studies show that doing high-intensity physical activity that is more intense than recommended does not provide substantial benefits to longevity.

To be clear, this data does not imply that high intensity is negative from a health standpoint.

From a dietary standpoint, many older adults do not eat enough protein. Adequate protein intake is necessary to build and maintain muscle mass. Especially if you exercise regularly. Current guidelines recommend a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for all adults.

However, if you want to build muscle, you need to double this to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. This equates to eating about 1 large chicken breast, a protein shake, 3 eggs and a can of tuna (but it depends on the product you use, so check the label). ).

This appears to be particularly important for physically active older adults (60+). It’s also a good idea to evenly distribute your protein intake throughout the day so that your body can absorb as much protein as possible in one meal.

Although muscle inevitably declines with age no matter how much exercise you do, being physically active is still one of the best ways to maximize both health and fitness and longevity. is. Also, the sooner you get into the habit of exercising, the better your old age may be.

Bradley Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, University of Westminster

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