Tips To Maintain Strong Muscles- Fearless Fabulous You! Aug. 8

Most adults lose up to 8% of their muscle mass each decade after age 40. This can accelerate to 15% at age 70. Many of us are aware of the importance of of strong muscles, but are we doing all we can to make sure they stay that way?

If you think about your body as a house, your bones are the frame, your muscles and tissues are the infrastructure and insulation, and your blood is the circulation system. Like a house, you need to maintain your body to minimize sags, droops, warps, creaks and cracks that come with age.

OLDER WOMAN LIFTING WEIGHTS — Weight bearing exercises help strengthen your muscles. (www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

According to a study conducted by AARP and Abbott with 1480 adults age 50 and over nearly 3/4 of respondents (73%) said they knew adults naturally lose muscle with age, and 28% said they already noticed some loss in their bodies. Nearly 95% reported they had a serious or chronic health condition after turning 50. Over a third (35%) reported being hospitalized due to a serious or chronic health condition. Among those, loss of strength (40%) and muscle loss (21%) were among their top concerns before and after.

Muscle loss and weakness with aging is a condition called sarcopenia which can result in decreased strength, energy and mobility and an increased risk of falls, illness and poor health into old age. Sarcopenia affects about 45 percent of older adults in the U.S.

Muscles need two things to stay strong: fuel (protein) and exercise (resistance + cardio + stretching) Maintaining a lean body mass is important for your energy and strength and to reduce your risk for major illness. But how much protein do you need and how do your needs change as you age? I’ve addressed how to find the best sources of protein on this show no matter what type of diet you follow. While animal protein is an obvious choice, plant based protein options are plentiful But you have to eat for your body type and age.

Consuming enough protein in your daily diet helps nourish your muscles. Source: AARP-Abbott Survey

Here’s your Tweetable eatable: There is no one-size-fits-all diet for any one person, but the need to eat adequate protein is uniform. #FearlessFabulousYou

Tiffany DeWitt, a Registered Dietitian with Abbott, will discuss ways to maintain your muscle with the right courses of protein and exercises. And we’ll debunk a few muscle myths, like certain exercises and foods “bulk you up.”