When pursuing fitness, we might look to great activewear, pool memberships, or daily walks. These are all good and important things.
But many of us forget to build strength, despite the life-changing power of maintaining muscle as we age.
“This is really important,” Deakin University exercise scientist David Scott told ABC RN’s Life Matters.
Strength training reduces risk heart attack Other heart diseases, stroke, etc. cancer.
It also impacts your ability to live a healthy life as an older adult, something Dr. Scott says is not well understood.
“We need to change the narrative… that it is somewhat inevitable that we will reach a point where we can no longer take care of ourselves and… no longer have some degree of independence,” he says.
“It’s really important that people understand that they can avoid getting to that point.”
Here’s how:
First of all, what role do muscles play in us?
“Muscles get a bad rap,” says Gabriel Lyon, a US-based functional medicine practitioner and author.
She’s talking about skeletal muscles (the muscles you use to move your bones), as opposed to the heart muscle or the muscles in your digestive system.
“When you think of muscles, you probably think of guys groaning in the weight room and wearing skinny tank tops and tanning, but skeletal muscles are so much more than that,” says author of Forever Strong. says one Dr. Ryan. : New science-based strategies for healthy aging.
“In fact, being physically fit and able to perform well is a byproduct of having healthy skeletal muscles.
”[It] It probably has the biggest impact on our health and longevity as we age. ”
The main function of skeletal muscles is to help us move around. But it’s also a critical location for glucose disposal, Dr. Scott says.
Storing glucose in your muscles reduces the amount of sugar floating around in your blood and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
And when this balance is disrupted, the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes may increase.
As we age, our muscles
Sarcopenia, the process of losing muscle mass and strength as we age, typically begins in our 30s and 40s and accelerates in our 60s, 70s, and 80s, Scott explains.
It is when we can cause some serious challenges in carrying out our daily lives, for example managing the house and garden.Sarcopenia is also associated Decline in cognitive function.
“Eventually, we may lose our independence and require the support of a caregiver or even move into aged care, which increases the risk of falls and fractures. These are major public health issues for an aging population,” Dr. Scott said. Say.
However, although muscle capacity declines with age, there is still much you can do to keep your body healthy and strong.
“It’s not about being big. What’s really important is that it works,” says Dr. Scott.
“We want people to live their lives in a way that helps them live a better life, that ultimately keeps them out of a nursing home, that prevents falls, that allows them to buy and clean up their groceries and take them home with them.” We are actively working to do so.” [home] Then place the suitcase over your head.
“That’s why we actually do these things.”
how to train muscles
You should incorporate strength training into your exercise routine at least two days a week, for about 30 minutes to an hour each time, says Dr. Scott.
He recommends performing three sets of six to 12 repetitions of each strength-building exercise. And there are lots of different ways to do them.
“Sometimes there is a perception that you have to go to the gym to do this kind of training. But you can do it at home just by using your own body weight.”
Bodyweight exercises include squats, bird dog and dead bug movements (do your research – it’s easier than you think), or sit-to-stand movements, such as sitting in a chair and rising without using your arms. Includes exercise. as soon as possible.
There’s no need to divide time into sections during the day. Dr. Scott says that doing small amounts of exercise (say, several 10- to 15-minute blocks) at different times throughout the day is “absolutely” effective for strength training.
Also, if you use weights, we recommend starting with about 40 percent of the maximum weight you can lift for each exercise. Then, as you improve, you can gradually increase it to about 80%.
Withstand the stress and pressure of exercise
Gym coach and owner of Pony Club Gym in Melbourne’s north, Ella Mason, said people often cut back on exercise because they think it’s worth it if they don’t do at least three sessions a week. He says there are many.
“but [doing] Doing something once a week is better than doing nothing…any movement is good, any routine is good,” says Mx Mason.
“Aiming for a doable routine is more likely to be sustainable over a lifetime and is more beneficial than stopping and starting.
“But it’s also good to take breaks…Life is fluid, energy is fluid, so you have to work with what your body is doing.”
Mx Mason says there is a widespread misconception about “athletes and non-athletes” – who can and cannot perform certain movements.
“That’s a lot of garbage,” they say.
“I have seen every body do everything given the opportunity and the right information.
“Our bodies are literally designed to move, and I think having the confidence and support to do that is really the only problem.”
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