There are many ways and reasons to fight the signs of aging, but maintaining muscle mass is often overlooked.
Sarcopenia is defined as the gradual loss of muscle due to aging. Muscle mass begins to decrease at the age of 30 and can cause metabolism to slow, leading to an increase in weight gain and complications in overall health. With this comes an increased risk of injury with falls, or lessened mobility. In fact, you can lose approximately 3%-5% per decade after age 30. In men, this amounts to almost a 30% decrease over their lifetime.
Fortunately, lost muscle mass is not gone forever!
While it’s important for younger adults to be aware of this for preventative reasons, it’s also important for older adults so that physical activity and exercise programs can be utilized to stop the deterioration or to begin to rebuild lost muscle. In combination with a healthy lifestyle and balanced nutrition, exercise, specifically resistance training, is one of the best ways to combat Sarcopenia.
Low-impact exercises are great for adults looking to remain in an active lifestyle without compromising joints or aggravating old injuries. Swimming, walking, and weight training are all great examples of low-impact exercises with both cardio and strength benefits. In the pool, our Safety Cord Short Belt can be used to practice long swims without needing a large space. It can also be used for resisted walking/running/lunging or other in-water resistance and strength-building drills.
Our Tubing Rehab Kit improves strength and mobility with a full conditioning system used for a variety of core and upper/lower body exercises. With 10 resistance levels, the kit is ideal for people of all levels.
Range of motion can also be a limitation for older adults as mobility issues arise and activity levels decrease.
Stretching is just as important as strengthening when it comes to retaining muscle mass, through lengthening the muscles and increasing blood flow and circulation, and maintaining flexibility. Try adding the Stretch Strap to your resistance routine for assistance in stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves.
Maintaining agility and reaction times are also important aspects of health in older adults. When combined with core strength, these components can improve balance while reducing the risk of falls or other serious injuries. While fancy football training camp footwork or speed drills may not be necessary, our Ankle Cordz can still be used to improve agility through basic footwork drills and strengthening exercises that improve hip flexion and overall leg strength.
We love this fitness test for older adults, to assess your current level of fitness, while also benchmarking progress and improvement. Through the 6 different tests, you’ll be able to understand more about your mobility, agility, strength, and endurance, and make any adjustments to combat the effects of aging and Sarcopenia. Resistance training and resistance products are unique in their ability to “tick the boxes” for several different requirements, whether your goals are in strength building, increasing flexibility, or simply maintaining mobility.
