Building and Preserving Strong Muscles: Guarding Against Sarcopenia
Content Courtesy of the Forever Young Podcast with Christiana Egi and Cherrie-Marie Chiu.
On our most recent Forever Young podcast episode, we were honored to have our very own, Dr. Odiatu join us for a conversation on Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is the gradual and progressive loss of muscle mass and strength - which can happen from about age 30 and older. If you ask an older man to get his wallet out of his back pocket, it may require more effort for him to twist around in comparison to a 16-year-old. This is a sign of losing vitality and the ability to move your body - which can increase the chances of falling. Regular exercise and strength training can help prevent sarcopenia and preserve muscle mass.
Dr. Odiatu is the author of The Miracle of Health, a professional member of the American College of Sports Medicine, and a practicing dentist in Toronto, Ontario. He has been an invited guest on over 400 radio and TV shows from Atlanta to Alaska, and is also an NSCA-certified personal trainer, and certified boot camp instructor. Dr. Odiatu has given over 400 lectures in England, Canada, the US, the Bahamas, Denmark, Bermuda, and Norway. Listen to the full podcast below or keep reading to find out how we can guard ourselves against sarcopenia.
Strength can dwindles with lack of use and that is why it is important to have good bone density as you age. 900,000 people in North America get hospitalized every year, from falling, with the majority of those people being over 65.
What are some of the signs and symptoms of sarcopenia? Muscle weakness, lack of vitality, and inability to have energy are all symptoms to look out for. Muscle weakness is a common symptom, As our bodies age we tend to move less which can decrease our muscle mass over time if we are not maintaining it. You may feel frail and weak, and find it harder to do tasks that was once easy.
The muscle is the largest organ in the body, although most may think skin is the largest organ in the body. In fact for males or females, muscle weighs about half of the body weight. Our bodies were meant for moving, so it is important to make sure we are taking care of our muscle mass to guard against sarcopenia. We discussed ways older adults can take care of their muscle mass in order to prevent Sarcopenia.
So what should we do to make sure our muscles don’t waste away?
Exercising can increase neurotransmitters, lowers inflammation, and increases bone dentist and muscle mass. Exercise on its own is more valuable without weight loss. Ideally, we should be doing some form of strength training in our fitness lifestyle, or simply walking and aiming for 10,000 steps can improve health.
Stretching your muscles is one way to avoid losing muscle mass. Yoga is a great exercise to incorporate or even light stretching. Aerobic fitness is also great to take on as it helps strengthen muscles and also helps flexibility. You don’t need to be a pro, but incorporating these into your life can help improve your overall health.
The good thing about being fit is you do not need a trainer or heavy equipment to maintain muscle mass. Women don't want to work out because they're afraid of getting bulky men to think muscle building is for the bodybuilders or looking good for the beach. But muscle building, which is the sarcomere (hence the word sarcopenia) builds that muscle cell and develops a muscle strength that helps you not fall and helps keeps you younger. Women have 30 times less testosterone, so it is almost impossible to be extremely bulky. Looking toned feels good and does not need to feel scary!
A lot of people may think they need to achieve weight loss by starving themselves. This is the worst thing to do to your muscle mass. If anything, exercise increases your appetite, so don’t resist the urge to eat. If you want to lose weight, start by balancing your diet instead of starving. This will help gain and maintain your muscle mass.
Fitness is important but focusing on a diet is also important. Start slow and sustainable so you can keep up a habit of healthy eating. If you are eating protein, make sure that you are moving your body because if not, it will turn into fat. So don’t forget, if you want to build those muscles, keep your protein and exercise in check.
If you are incorporating a healthy diet, muscle training, or cardio you can maintain your muscle mass and bone density. Fitness does not need to be about getting smaller, but about keeping yourself healthy! Remember that aging is not a downhill road. We can look incredible, we can move and be toned. Taking care of your strength will ultimately give you a longer timeframe to follow your passion.
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The Forever Young podcast was created and produced by Christiana Egi and Cherrie Marie Chiu. Produced and engineered by Elisse Hill. The podcast represents our opinions and those of our guests. The content should not be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. If you like our show, please tell your friends and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are available every other Wednesday. Have questions? Email us at ourforeveryoungpodcast@gmail.com.
