by Ageing is an inevitable process that can’t be stopped. Yet guessing someone’s age is always a tricky thing, because in most cases, you could be way wrong (it’s so hard to get it right the first time). If they look really young, you might even guess – 10 their original age . But the vice versa is also true, where people look way older than their actual age. Not just biological age, but do you also know that the muscles in our body can age faster than our whole body ageing process? Hence its all the more important to check muscle age to know where you stand
As you cross 35 or 40, the body starts to undergo a lot of physiological changes. Muscles tend to lose their strength & mass and this can be as much as 33% 1 of muscle loss between ages of 40 to 80 (1Baier S et al,JPEN.2009;33(1):71-82.) . Though the muscle mass decline is quite expected , this can however be sharply reduced by a very healthy active & physical lifestyle. When you check muscle age, you can clearly understand how this declining is happening at a rapid pace.
A Change in your Lifestyle
A simple modification of your diet, lifestyle and certain behavioral changes can have a significant influence on the muscle functions, even for older ages. Muscle health, if left unattended to , can lead to loss of strength, immunity and can affect your day to day activities. Even a small physical work can tire you down, while you no longer have energy for anything.
Exercise & Nutrition – The Boosters of Muscle Health
It’s no magic that a proper exercise and a nutritious balanced meal can do wonders to the body . Ask anyone who’s glowing or strong, even in old age and the only answer will be Fitness Routines & Nutritious meals.
A) Physical Activities
Physical activities helps to reduce obesity, reduces blood pressure, insulin & cholestrol levels . Here are some of the top physical activities you can do to keep yourself fit
- Join a gym. Work out regularly – 30 minutes/1 hr a day , 4 to 5 times a week. No equivalents here
- Running – After a small jog to stretch those muscles out, go for a good run for 15 mins. Nothing works better like a good solid run
- Swimming : If you are good in swimming, go for a good swim once in 2-3 days. Helps to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
- Cycling : 20 minutes of good cycling , 3 times a week, can do wonders to the body, burning all those calories at your last night’s party.
B) The Nutritious Way
All those burning of calories at the gym or by running several kms off the track requires a lot of stamina, nutrition and at the same replenishment for your muscles to stay active & fit.
A key point to keep in mind : Ensure that the food we have take has a balanced mix of i) Carbohydrates, Proteins & Fats and ii) Minerals and Nutrients. Each of these play a key role in keeping the muscles healthy , fit & active. Most importantly they play an equal role like Physical exercise to slow down the Muscle Ageing.
I came across this Muscle Age test , where you are supposed to take a chair(roughly 1.4 ft tall), stand with arms folded and sit down and stand up to starting position. Repeat the exercise 5 times as fast as you can and find out how much seconds it took you to do those 5 reps. It took me just 5 seconds ( thanks to my super active lifestyle ) to do the steps.
I have posted my video here
Here’s the results of my Muscle Age Test:
Check Muscle Age here :
I’d strongly recommend you to try out this simple exercise I posted above and then check your muscle age here https://bit.ly/MuscleAgeTest
