How to Prevent Muscle Loss As You Age
Common, But Not Inevitable
There is ONE thing that will have a greater impact on how your body feels and functions more than anything else you could do as a woman in midlife…
Keeping (and gaining) muscle mass!
Losing muscle as you get older causes a slower metabolism, poor joint health, increased risk of injury, and even lower bone density. 😬
After age 30, if you’re physically INACTIVE you can lose 3-8% of your muscle mass every decade… and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60!!!
In some cases you might even be diagnosed with something called SARCOPENIA.
Sarcopenia is an age-related, involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength.
It can begin as early as in your 40s and it’s one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults.
The good news? You can prevent it.
JUST ONE THING
Whether you’re 35 or 65- there’s one thing you can do, starting today to prevent muscle loss…
Start strength training!
If you’re short on time (aren’t we all?!).
And you don’t have equipment.
You CAN still get a great full body strength training workout in just 4 moves.
How you do it:
Quick Full Body Strengthening Routine:
- Bent-over W’s - Squeeze your shoulder blade muscles back and maintain a neutral spine. Do 10 reps.
- Elevated Push-ups - Maintain great posture and keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle to your body with each move. Do 6-10 reps.
- Side Split Squats - Shift your weight to the side, sitting back and down into one hip while keeping the other leg straight. Do 6-10 reps/side, alternating.
- Bridges - Lay on your back with fleet planted, then squeeze through your glutes to push your hips up. Do 10 reps.
Extra tip: Do these four exercises 3-5 sets through to really challenge your muscles. On your first set through, take it slow and steady to treat it like a warm-up. Once you’re warmed up and feel steady with the exercises, move quickly with very little rest breaks to simultaneously challenge your cardiovascular system and coordination.
Did You Know...
- Having a quick routine with zero equipment like this will help you stay more consistent with your strength training. You can do this anywhere in very little time!
- Bodyweight-only strength training is still resistance training. It can improve your muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular health, and joint mobility.
- When you’re starting something new (like strength training), avoid anything that’s time-intensive, unfamiliar (i.e. scary equipment 😫), or extreme. Start small and gradually build up for sustainability! Click here for a great podcast episode all about How to Start Strength Training & Lifting Weights
#1 Priority for Your Workout Routines
Studies have shown that strength training has so many far reaching impacts on your health that it should be the highest priority of all your workout methods.
Say goodbye to cardio-only focused workout sessions!
If you want to...
Keep your bones healthy.
Keep your joints lubricated and pain-free.
Move through your everyday activities with ease.
Lose fat, improve your body composition, and even increase your metabolism.…
Start strength training!💪
Until next week... Be strong
