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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Sarco-what?? Sarcopenia is the natural loss of muscle strength and function that occurs with aging. If you’re 40-plus you’re already experiencing creeping muscle loss. Is it reversible? Yes! But only with an appropriate exercise program.
Behind the scenes, forces are already at work to develop quick-fix solutions for the Baby Boomer market. As the medical community strives to create techniques for diagnosing sarcopenia, pharmaceutical companies have non-steroidal “muscle drugs” in the pipeline and food giants are producing products to support muscle strength. But why would you want to take another pill or supplement when there is a safe, effective solution at hand? Experts say the best approach to restoring or maintaining muscle strength is exercise, primarily strength training.
Sarcopenia is to the muscle what osteoporosis is to the bone, and strength training can be a remedy in both cases. According to the Journal of American Medical Association women over 40 who lift weights can actually have better strength and bone density than women who are years younger.
By lifting weights you can turn back the clock. You can combat the effect of aging to look and feel younger. According to a study conducted by Dr. Miriam Nelson, a forerunner in researching the benefits of strength training for the over-40 population, “After one year of strength training, women’s bodies were 15 to 20 years more youthful.”
If you are in your mid-40’s, you may already feel like you have less energy and strength. It’s around this age that an inactive person begins to lose 10% of muscle mass per decade. Experts say that the loss begins to accelerate after age 75 when an elderly person who doesn’t exercise loses 30% of muscle per decade.
The good news is that muscle mass and function can be regained at any age or fitness level. A study conducted at the Tufts Center on Aging recruited 10 elderly volunteers of the average age of 90, all of whom had at least two chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Most relied on walkers or canes and several had leg muscles so weak they couldn’t rise from a chair without assistance from their arms.
The participants engaged in a progressive resistance training program building to high intensity strength training, using the same machines that 25-year olds use in the gym. They worked out for three days a week for eight weeks, using the heaviest weights they could lift in good form.
The results were astounding: muscle strength increased by 175%; walking speed and balance improved by 48%; two of the volunteers discarded their canes. However, returning to a sedentary lifestyle, participants lost 32% of maximum strength after only four weeks. (JAMA, June 13,1990).
Just imagine how strength training can help you manage the aging process if you start in your 40’s and stay strong with each passing decade. Being strong means you can be more independent and self-reliant at every age. When it comes to being physically active, weight training strengthens the muscles and joints, enhancing your aerobic workouts and sports activities. It makes you more resilient to illness and injury and less likely to suffer poor posture and back pain. It’s never too late to begin strength training, and the sooner you start, the longer you benefit.
Joan Pagano, former trainer to Jacqueline Onassis and Caroline Kennedy, has specialized in strength training for women since 1988. She is the author of five best-selling exercise books, including Strength Training for Women. For more about Joan, her books and services, please visit JoanPaganoFitness
(c) Copyright – Joan L. Pagano. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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