By Dottie Drake, RN, Certified Fitness Professional, Cape Regional Miracles Fitness
These two questions are the most frequently asked questions in a health club. The answer is yes, but it takes a serious plan and true commitment.
There are two parts to the solution: One, strength training, and two, dietary changes. Every year over the age of 20, we start to lose one pound of muscle without a progressive weight training program. Health care practitioners thought we lost bone first and that’s what caused muscle loss. But it is the muscle loss that causes bone to decay. Healthy muscle pulls on the bone, allowing blood to flow through the bone. Losing muscle weakens the bones.
As you age, this muscle loss becomes obvious in certain areas of your body, affecting your function. The muscles in your neck, shoulders and back keep you upright. Loss here causes your head to fall forward and your back to bend forward. These are your pulling muscles.
Loss of chest muscle decreases the body’s ability to push. Loss of your thigh muscle causes you to shuffle as you walk. Loss of this muscle also decreases blood flow to the front of your knees and hips. Loss of the hamstring muscle behind the leg causes you to be unable to bend and tie your shoes and get up from the floor. Loss of the muscle in the back of your arm interferes with you being able to arise from a chair. The good news is that a structured, focused weight-lifting program will enable you to regain lost muscle. Talk to a personal trainer about learning the upright row, leg press, chest press, leg extension, triceps and leg curl. It is NEVER TOO LATE to grow back muscle. 90-year-olds are having improved DEXA scans, and you can as well.
A dietary need for muscle is protein. Low carbs (20 grams) from veggies and fruit, high healthy fats and moderate protein (which is half your body weight in protein grams per day) is a great plan to get you healthy. Avoid sugar, processed foods and trans fatty acids, high fructose corn syrups, additives, chemicals and food colorings. Fat is NOT your enemy; sugar and fake food is!
Cape Regional Miracles Fitness is designed to serve members at every level of their fitness journey. The facility offers complimentary onsite fitness and nutrition assessments for every new member, as well as customized medically-supervised fitness programs.
Cape Regional Miracles Fitness – Together for a healthier life! Start your fitness journey today by calling (609) 886-7070 or visiting miraclesfitness.com.
