The answer to both of that is YES! Sarcopenia can be fought by keeping your muscles active. It is possible to prevent loss by combining aerobic exercise, strength training, and balance training. There are many types of exercise that are beneficial, but strength training stands out as the most beneficial. Weightlifting, pulling against resistance bands, and performing bodyweight exercises against gravity are all forms of strength training.
To achieve these benefits, you will need to exercise at least two to four times a week. In most cases, sarcopenia is mainly caused by inactivity. Physical activity can therefore reduce your risk of developing sarcopenia. If you’re not able to commit an hour or two to perform strength training, get in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises to keep your body active and improve your cardiovascular system which will help to prevent muscle from deteriorating.
For people that are already experiencing sarcopenia, you can reverse it by performing strength training exercises that will induce growth signals in your muscles that increase strength. Hormonal balance can also be achieved through strength training especially in older people as it improves their ability to convert protein into energy. There have been cases where these changes were seen within two weeks. As a result, strength training is the most effective way to increase muscle mass and prevent it from deteriorating.
In addition to strength training, sustained aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate can also help you control sarcopenia. Exercises that include strength, aerobic and flexibility as part of a combination exercise program have been found to be the most effective in treating sarcopenia. The combination of these techniques would be the most effective way to prevent and reverse sarcopenia. Physical activity can therefore reduce your risk of developing sarcopenia. Keeping your system fit and working requires just 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, like walking or jogging.
Next week we’ll talk about how you can prevent, reverse, and manage sarcopenia through nutrition.
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