Muscle Loss Prevention: It’s Up to You
Have you Ever Felt Exercise Isn’t Worth it?
A common complaint is how hard it is to lose weight. However, few of us are thinking about preventing the loss of muscle that occurs as we age. Long thought to be an inevitable part of the aging process, now we are learning about how our choice to exercise can make a difference in preventing this decline in muscle mass and function. The surprising research that I’d like to share with you focused on the ability for triathletes to maintain muscle mass much better as they age than sedentary individuals. Look at these MRI thigh cross section images to see the difference:
*Adipose = Fat
Your Muscles, Save Them
Muscle maintenance starts with the belief that you can change for the better. Know that you can, and start exploring what’s possible. Start with a comfortable and easy routine and grow from there. As we grow older, we need more exercise, not less. Find ways to make your routing more challenging! Sit less, and move more. When you’ve decided it’s time to get started, then you’ll need to know which muscles to focus on.
The Most Important Muscles
Without a doubt, the most important muscles that we need to work on strengthening and balancing are the core muscles. These are the muscles that provide stability to your entire body. Located in the front of the neck, the mid-back, the abdomen, and the buttocks, these muscles translate strength into balance. It’s when the body is in need of stabilizing itself dynamically that these key parts of your body do their work. To practice working with your core muscles, it’s wise to invest in a physio-ball or other tools to make you less stable during exercise. By introducing an element of instability, you engage your muscles in a dynamic way which multiplies the challenge.
Core Muscles for Posture
The posture that people find themselves in from day to day contributes to the problem. With our heads slumped forward, the muscles in the front of the neck weaken. When our shoulders hunch forward, they pull and overstretch our mid-back region. And with our lower back slouched back into a chair, we find our abs underused and weakened. Weakness in these muscles makes maintaining a straight and balanced posture uncomfortable. It’s often helpful to focus on each one individually, holding an isometric contraction to a pain-free level of intensity for 5-10 seconds.
You may not be a triathlete, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach much greater levels of health. It’s up to you. How are you working to get more healthy in 2016?