Aging Muscles Must Stay Active

By around the age of 25 our skeletal muscles have reached their maximum size and lose about 20% of their mass by age 50. By age 80 they can shrink by about 50%.

Inactivity can quicken this process.

The decline of muscle mass and strength due to age is called sarcopenia which is accompanied by loss of mobility, agility and flexibility. Simple, everyday activities such as getting up from a chair, walking, or climbing stairs can become major problems.

woman with backache - ©istockphotos/monkeybusinessimages

Inactivity can affect us in many ways:

General weakness
Tendency to move at a slower pace
Movement becomes stiffer and less flexible
Hand grip strength decreases, making it harder to turn door handles, open jars, or hold on to a stair rail
Increased chance of losing balance
More prone to developing arthritis
Increased risk of injuries

Do you want to continue participating actively and independently in the coming decades? Do you want to continue to perform daily tasks and be able to take care of yourself?

Exercise can slow or even reverse sarcopenia

Many of the symptoms attributed to aging are due to inactivity and they can be slowed or possibly reversed.

Resistance Training
woman using resistrance training equipment Resistance training(also called strength training) increases strength and endurance. It increases muscle mass and reduces body fat. Strength training helps calories burn at a faster rate which can help take pounds off, improves blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and may also reduce arthritis pain.

Strength training includes:

Weight lifting using either hand weights or weight machines,
Elastic bands
Use your own body weight (push-ups for example)

And don't think it's too late for you to start training. Studies show that even those over 80 can increase their muscular strength when they participate in a regular strength-training workout.

For excellent weight training workouts link on to this site:

Weight Training for Women – Free weight training exercises and workouts for women. Videos and step-by-step instructions to gain lean muscle, lose weight, burn fat, strengthen and sculpt the body and target trouble areas. Reviews of popular weight training programs.

Improve Balance

Walking is an excellent exercise for improving your balance. If you're not used to walking, start with small, slow strides. As you get used to walking, begin taking longer faster strides, increasing the distance as well.

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