Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle tone that happens as we age. It can be seen in lack of strength, balance, and speed—though there are currently no definitive measures for practitioners to look at when diagnosing sarcopenia. That might be changing as sarcopenia became an official disease in 2016. It’s considered a treatable disease.
New research indicates it also might not be inevitable. Humans may not just lose 3-8% of our muscle mass each decade starting in our thirties (that’s the actual data). It could be that each decade we move less and therefore lose muscle. That makes the answer simple: move more and keep your muscles. It also implies you aren’t fighting an uphill battle. So how do we keep as much of our muscle tone as possible?
Keep Moving and use the acronym MOVE:
Movement Awareness:
Notice anything you’ve lost. Is it harder to balance? Can you no longer get up and down off the floor. When you pick something up do you no longer squat and instead hinge from the back? Is it hard to lift a heavy pot suddenly?
Objective:
Set an objective. What do you need to train to help rebuild what you’ve lost? Who can help and is there anything standing in your way?
Variety
You’ll want to do a variety of movement, but also with a variety of tools. You can use your body weight, hand weights, machines, and/or flex bands. Try heavy weight light reps and light weight high reps.
Expedite
This is twofold. Shoot to expedite the process by doing full body moves that work your upper and lower body at the same time, but also alter the pace. Do some moves a little faster, others slower, and some at a steady pace for you.
We need our muscles to do a lot for us. They need to be strong and flexible, quick and yet able to help stabilize our body. That’s why different challenges are worthwhile.
Keep Reading
Looking for other ways to stay healthy over the winter? Check out Maggie’s Mindful Eating February blog!
Want more movement tips to incorporate into your daily routine? Click here to read about Movement Snacks!
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