Why It’s Important and What to Do

Popeye may swallow spinach sockets to grow his muscles, but for us it takes more than the green. We have over 600 muscles in our body; Some work alone, like those in our hearts and in our organs, while others can control, like our skeletal muscles. We use them every day – they help us to go, stand, to lift, talk and even eat.

Unfortunately, with increasing age, our muscles lose their size, strength and function, which can make tasks such as climbing out of bed or walking into the bathroom. Weak muscles also increase our risk of falls, fractures, chronic diseases and a shorter life. Therefore, it is so important that we do everything we can to maintain our muscle mass. In the following we share three of science supported to keep the muscles strong and healthy and to examine the advantages of maintaining muscle mass.

Tips for maintaining the muscles

Eat enough protein

While some people would never miss a portion of protein on their plates during meals, others may have difficulty difficulties consuming them or not distributing their recording of the day. As Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES, emphasizes: “However, the food helps enough protein to maintain our muscle mass because protein is a component for muscle tissue.” You will find protein -rich foods in animal sources such as chicken, eggs, seafood, yogurt, milk and cheese. Plant -based foods such as tofu, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds are also great sources of protein. Studies suggest that older adults may need more than the previous recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight and specify an range of 1.0 to 1.6 grams per kilogram more optimally. For a 150 pound person, this means 68 to 109 grams of protein per day. However, there are different cases in which these recommendations may not fit for you, e.g. B. if you have the risk of kidney disease. Talk to your health service provider or a registered nutritionist to identify the right amount of protein for you.

Physically active

Have you ever heard the saying “Using or losing”? Well, this applies to our muscles. You will probably shrink and become weak if we don’t use them. As Thomason explains, every kind of weight exercises such as going or running helps our muscle mass in old age and protects our bone health. During the training, our muscles put pressure on our bones and help you increase the strength. Strong muscles can also help prevent falls, an important risk factor for age -related decline. The key is to find a form of movement that you enjoy. “To make your activities regularly, try to enjoy it! Don’t call it” practice “. Let it dance, go with your dog, hike or go to the gym,” says Taub-Dix.

Carry out strength training

The strength training, also known as fabric training, is one of the most important and effective exercises for combating aging. “Strength training not only helps to maintain muscle mass, but also the muscle mass to improve our metabolism for longevity,” says Thomason. Every pressure, pulling or lifting you carry out contributes to the structure of vital muscles. The guidelines for physical activity for Americans recommend shooting two weekly strength training sessions that aim at all important muscle groups. Regardless of whether you lift free weights, participate in a kettlebell class or use your own body weight to make pushers or squats, everything counts!

Why muscles are important

Increases the metabolism

The structure of more muscles can build up our metabolism and help us maintain a healthy weight. As Thomason explains: “Because it is one of our most metabolic tissue in the body, it is so important for healthy aging and durability because it contributes to the fact that our metabolism works optimally with increasing age.” The more muscle mass we have, the more calories we burn in peace. Our basal metabolic rate, the number of calories that your body needs in peace, also increases with more muscle mass. Studies show that maintaining healthy weight is also of crucial importance for increasing the longevity. In fact, a study in which over 2.8 million people were examined was associated with a longer lifespan in a healthy BMI area.

Healthy aging

Although complementary companies and skin care products bomb with promise of eternal adolescents, the actual key is to stay young and lead a long life in our muscles. “When we get older, our muscles naturally reduce into mass and strength. This is referred to as sarcopenia, a state that can lead to falling, breaks and weaknesses that can have a negative impact on their way of life,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN. If we are in our muscle mass in our muscle health in our muscle health, we can remain active, mobile and independent longer.

A lower risk of chronic diseases

Studies have also associated a higher muscle mass with a lower risk of developing chronic diseases. As Thomason emphasizes: “More muscle mass is associated with better health results in the long term, from the cardiovascular diseases (to) comorbidities.” A study showed that adults with the highest muscle tissue had 81% less often a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or a stroke and also had lower diabetes rates, high blood pressure and obesity. Similarly, another study showed that maintaining muscles due to muscle strengthening activities was associated with a risk of mortality, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer and diabetes.

Supports your whole body

Maintaining our muscle mass also supports other systems in our body. Taub-Dix explains: “The maintenance and support of your muscles can help support your immune system, your bones, your mental health, your gastrointestinal health and much more.” Other body systems, including our immune system, slow down and weaken them with increasing age. A weak immune system can make us more susceptible to diseases and infections. Exercises not only helps us to maintain our muscle mass, but can also help strengthen our immune system function.

To consider other things

Outside the protein, make sure that you also eat enough calories. If you eat enough, keep all systems in your body, keep your muscles nourishes and give you energy to do both regular activity and strength training. Finally, make sure you have enough closure. Sleep is of crucial importance for your general health and works to restore and rebuild systems in your body, including your muscles. In fact, research indicate that people who sleep better can live longer.

Our expert

We may not be able to turn the clock back, but we can do a lot to support a longer life and improve our life expectancy. By maintaining our muscle mass, our metabolism can fire, help us reduce the risk of illness and keep the rest of our body healthy. While many things help them maintain their muscle mass, there are three strategies that have been proven that they eat enough protein, stay physically active and carry out resistance training. Also ensure that you feed your body with appropriate calories and prioritize enough sleep. Both are crucial for the promotion of the muscles.