Health Guide丨How middle-aged and elderly people exercise to maintain muscle mass

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Muscle, the body’s key reserve to stay healthy. From the age of 35, muscle stores go downhill fast, losing at a rate of 0.3 to 0.8% per year. At the age of 80, muscle may be less than half of what it was when you were young, and if you don’t intervene in time for the loss of muscle fibers, you will not only increase the risk of fracture, but will also threaten the health of vital organs. Exercise is the easiest way to maintain muscle mass, and every older adult should understand, try, and participate in strength training.

01Benefits of Strength Training

1, increase excess oxygen consumption: that is, in the twenty-four hours after training, the body will continue to consume calories, for aerobic training, often immediate consumption of calories, while for strength training, calorie consumption will last 24 hours.

2, enhance the resting metabolic rate: strength training will allow the body to increase muscle mass, in order to effectively improve the “resting metabolic rate”. According to relevant studies, muscle mass is metabolically active, every pound of LBM, the resting metabolic rate will increase by about 6 calories. It’s not a lot, but for the fitness novice, it slowly builds up. That being said, it goes a long way towards weight management and our overall health.

3, enhance bone density: strength training will exert pressure on the bones, which can effectively improve bone density, greater strength will produce greater results.

4, the prevention of cardiovascular disease, improve mood: there are many benefits of strength training, but also effective in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, according to relevant surveys show that adherence to strength training helps to reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve blood lipids overall health indicators, and even improve mood.

02Training Principles for the Middle-aged and Older Adults

Suggested 40 minutes after meals, the training process to no pain and discomfort as a principle, if there is pain and discomfort and other conditions, training should be stopped immediately.

Choose the right tool: kettlebell looks like a teapot like dumbbells, but it is different from dumbbells, more different from barbells, although its appearance, but the use of quite a lot, for the elderly, can be considered a very friendly strength equipment.

Training notes: 1, training may appear slight shortness of breath; 2, the relevant muscles will have a sense of pulling and soreness, is a normal phenomenon.

For middle-aged and elderly people, in addition to the necessary aerobic exercise, strength training is not to be ignored. This explanation of the action training is suitable for the elderly home or field practice, to improve body strength, prevent muscle atrophy, enhance immunity and prevent falls. Hurry up and get moving!

Kettlebell single-arm rowing

Take a shoulder-width position, bend over and keep your knees flexible. Grasp the kettlebell with one hand and pull the kettlebell to the top position while trying to keep tension on your elbow to your side as you move upward. Switch to the other hand when you’re done. Exhale up and inhale to return; repeat the exercise.

Kettlebell One-Arm Lift

Stand naturally, hold the kettlebell in one hand, lift the kettlebell upward, exhale upward, inhale to restore, repeat the exercise.

Farmer’s Walk

Prepare to lift the kettlebell with your back straight, obliques kept tight and strong, scapulae kept stable, and do static contractions throughout. During the walk, keep your core stable, don’t hunch over, always keep your upper body weight-bearing and your lower body moving smoothly. During the walking process, always keep a small stride length and move steadily forward.

Warm up sufficiently before the start of training, choose the right weight for you according to your training goals and ability, don’t stop immediately after training, remember to stretch and relax.