Vancouver Chiropractor Discusses Avoiding Loss of Muscle Mass With Age
With age come many wonderful things: wrinkles, increased adipose tissue (otherwise known as fat), diminished hearing and vision, as well as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of muscle strength and mass, often associated with aging. Although sarcopenia is a regular part of aging, it does not have to affect us as thoroughly as it is expected to. I cannot find the statistic today; however, a professor once lectured that after the age of 30, we will lose 1% of our muscle mass every year. This loss correlates with a 1% VO2 max decrease. This is a very scary thought. If we don’t work to prevent this inevitable loss, one day we will most certainly be asking for help to get off the loo.
Many factors play a role in sarcopenia, some of which include hereditary factors, vitamin and hormone levels in the body, and exercise. Resistence training is the most effective method of maintaining and building muscle mass. However, if weights, exercise balls and elastic bands aren’t your thing, consider other options to keep those muscle fibers big and strong. If the Grouse Grind is your thing, perhaps drop for 20 push ups when you get to the top! Maybe you could pick up a rock and do 15 bicep curls, hold a deep yoga pose such as Warrior A for 3 minutes on each leg, or do 15 heel lifts at the bottom of each stair case you climb? Be creative in the fight against sarcopenia.
I challenge you to integrate one resistence training exercise into your day for the next week. Write each exercise in your daily calender. At the end of the week, review your exercises. Recognize then, how simple it is to make such small, yet positive changes in your life. You should feel inspired that you are taking steps to maintain your body’s strength for many years to come. Congratulations in advance!
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