What You Don't Know About Your Muscles
What You Don't Know About Your Muscles
By Shane Sauer
One of the most common complaints about aging is a loss of strength. It’s well known and there are some specific physiological changes that promote it.
But just like the changes in your mobility, hearing, and memory, you don’t have to resign yourself to the inevitable. You can fight back and it’s not even that hard to do!
Before we discuss how you can keep your muscles, let’s take a look at why you should want to. Here is just a sampling of what happens when you stay strong:
You can continue your favorite activities.
You can eat more without getting fat.
Your bones stay stronger.
Your posture is better.
The list goes on and on. When it comes down to it, your muscles are really important and it’s in your best interest to keep them.
As I mentioned above, there are some natural physiological changes that cause you to lose muscle mass if you don’t do anything about it. But the majority of muscle loss comes from common lifestyle choices we make as we age.
To prevent yourself from experiencing this common pitfall, just keep these 3 basic ideas in mind:
Minimize sources of chronic stress
Eat plenty of protein
Use your muscles
When people are under chronic stress, scientists perpetually find a marker called C-Reactive Protein (CRP) to be elevated in the blood. A recent study found that CRP causes a reduction in the size of muscle cells, directly linking chronic stress with muscle-loss! Because of this, managing chronic stressors like unhealthy situations, habits, and diets could save your muscles. This may seem like a big task, but you can start small with some simple relaxation exercises.
Speaking of diets, number two on this list is to eat plenty of protein. Many people struggle with this because there aren’t many processed foods rich in protein. But, your body has to have protein to maintain and grow your muscles, consider adding some more of these foods to your meals.
Lastly, muscles work on the “use it or lose it” system just like your brain and nervous system. A simple trick to keep them active (and get stronger) is to practice squeezing them (upper body, lower body). No equipment necessary!
If you want to stay active, strong, and fit but need help incorporating these ideas into your daily life, send me a message. It’s what I do :-)