Muscles: Lose it or use it
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Muscles: Lose it or use it
Starting from your 40s and well into your senior years, some feel that it is the time to abandon the gym and trade in fun trendy workouts for sitting at home and reading the morning newspaper. Use it or lose it, physical activity really has no age limit. If you do not maintain your muscles, you can worsen age related muscle loss (Sarcopenia). Though it may not feel that easy at first, a little guidance, supporting food and supplements with high quality protein regimen (eg. Ensure Gold with HMB for muscles), you can have a healthy future.1, 2, 3
Stimulate, Don’t Annihilate
Diving right into working out as hard as you did in your youth will strain your knees, wrists, and cramp muscles. A doctor can perform some stress tests and determine what kind of movements are right for you or your loved one. Start with light weights or weight free aerobics and gradually increase sets, repetition numbers, and difficulty. To reap the benefits of a good workout, hydration, high quality proteins, nutrients, and sleep are important. A sufficient amount of each allows a body to fight fatigue, repair & regrow muscle into muscle memory.1, 2, 3
Stretching is Important
Static stretching is where you either lie down, sit, or stand and hold a body part at a certain position for a period of time. Though this type of stretching does not directly build muscles, it can prevent muscle and nerve injuries. You may not have symmetrical flexibility, so stretching will get the part that needs it used to moving a certain way and retain fluidity. Post exercise stretching brings heart rate back down slowly and reduces the accumulation of lactic acid (produced when muscles are low in oxygen and energy) that causes soreness.1, 3
Take a hard look at your diet
Your metabolism gets slower as you age due to natural loss of muscle mass, so consuming higher quality nutrients is ever more important. Eat a rich variety of colorful fruits (Carotene, vitamin D, C, E for healthier muscle response), vegetables (vitamin K, magnesium, calcium for muscle resilience), whole grains (fiber & carbohydrates for energy and sustenance), and lean meats & fish (omega 6 & 9, high quality protein HMB – Hydroxymethylbutyrate, a metabolite of leucine, to build and repair). But if you or a loved one feels that they are not getting enough nutrients from food, there is no shame in getting support from nutritional supplements. For example, supplements like Ensure Gold with HMB, backed by over 50 clinical studies, have 1.5 grams of HMB per two servings to fully protect and support muscles. Muscle building is possible well past your 40s with a focus on regular exercise, good nutrition, and a little bit of Ensure Gold with HMB. The key is to start early well before your senior years and keep on moving with appropriate nutrition to support.1, 2, 5
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