Staying Strong and Mobile

If you have not started, build and preserve your muscles. Muscle is the absolute centerpiece for being healthy throughout life and as we age if we do not use them, we lose them. Muscle keeps us strong and mobile and burns calories even at rest, which makes it easier to keep your weight down.

Starting in your late 30s and early 40s, most people lose about a quarter pound of muscle every year. There are a couple of factors that can contribute to the loss; not only inactivity, but poor nutrition, as well.

Using hand weights, your body weight and/or machines is the best way to strength or resistance train. When you build and preserve muscle, it also helps with muscle power needed for everyday tasks such as getting out of the car or standing from a chair.

Eating the right foods rich in protein is also helpful in building and preserving muscle. How much you consume is also very important to ensure you have enough to synthesize in the body but not too much to turn into fat. A great rule of thumb is to take your body weight and convert it to grams. When you read food labels, all protein is measured in grams. The conversion is your body weight divided by 2.2. To find out how much you should consume, multiply that number times .8 if you are sedentary, 1 to 1.2 if you are active and 1.2-1.7 if you are a strength trained athlete. For example a 150lb woman who is moderately active needs a minimum between 70-80 grams of protein per day. (150/2.2) * 1.1 = 74.999.

Some examples of foods and their approximate protein content are:
4 oz skinless chicken or turkey breast: 35g
2 oz drained canned tuna: 14g
1/4 cup soy nuts: 17g
1/2 cup cottage cheese: 14g
1/2 cup cooked beans: 8g
1 cup skim milk: 8g
1/4 cup egg substitute: 6g
1 cup cooked oatmeal: 6g
1 cup of bulgar, quinoa or brown rice: 6g

It is very important to ensure that you have an adequate amount of protein in addition to a regular strength training regimen to keep your muscles strong. Each day we are older and can get better if you take the right steps to take care of your body. Be Well!