By Tammy Bellman, PT
As we age, we experience many physical changes: muscular, cardiovascular, skeletal. Age-related muscle loss – also known as sarcopenia — is especially prevalent. After the age of 30, the average person can lose up to 5 percent of their muscle mass per decade.
Sarcopenia can be caused by
• a decrease in the body’s ability to convert protein into energy;
• a reduction in physical activity because of weakness or loss of stamina;
• lower hormone levels;
• muscle atrophy and a decrease in muscle size and the number of muscle fibers.
Fortunately, there are ways to maintain, and even build, muscle mass as we age.
• Begin by paying close attention to nutrition. Infuse your diet with protein-rich foods, complex carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats such as avocados, peanut butter, nuts, fatty fish, and vegetable oils. You will need all of these for your body to be able to increase muscle.
• Make weight-training an integral part of your fitness program. Try to work with weights 2 to 3 days each week.
• Begin with lighter weights that you can lift 15 times in a row. Once you are able to do 2 sets of 15 repetitions, increase your weights by 1 to 2 pounds.
• Rest is important as well! Be sure to take rest days between days when you lift weights.
• Recovery activities such as yoga, stretching, and walking are good options and promote a well-rounded exercise routine.
• Finally, don’t forget your cardiovascular workouts. Those should be done 4 or 5 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
Keeping muscle mass will help you reduce osteoarthritis pain, improve your balance, and decrease your risk of falls. In short, maintaining and adding muscle as you age will improve your overall quality of life.
Tammy Bellman, PT, is a physical therapist with Mayfield Brain & Spine.