Building Muscle Mass in Seniors

The Basics of Increasing Muscle Mass

Healthy aging includes regular exercise. One component of regular exercise is basic strength training or weight training, both of which can build muscle mass. Increasing muscle mass means that you are making your muscle stronger and more capable.

You may be thinking of those huge individuals with bulky muscles in weight lifting competitions, and saying to yourself, “I do not want or need to look like that!” However, muscle building is not usually that noticeable. In most cases, average folks who focus on toning muscle will not end up looking like professional body builders. Because muscles takes up less room than fat, most people will look slimmer and stronger as a result of muscle building exercises.

Muscle building for senior health and strength can be accomplished with easy exercises. In many cases, you don’t need special equipment or even a gym to build muscles.

The Benefits of Building Muscle Mass in Seniors

The benefits of building muscle mass at any age cannot be overstated. Strong muscles are important for many aspects of leading a healthy life. For elderly health and fitness, muscle building can be even more important. The most important point to remember is that you’re never too old to strengthen your muscles.

If your doctor gives you the go-ahead, you can get started with muscle building tomorrow and start reaping the benefits.

• Muscles are a necessity: You use your muscles for everything: playing at the park with grandchildren, walking with friends at the mall or on a hike, swimming, golf, and all the other fun activities you love. You also need muscle strength to easily get out of the bathtub, carry groceries, garden, and drive. Healthy and improved muscle strength increases the opportunity for independent living.
• You’ll feel healthy: When you build muscle mass you feel healthy from the inside out. Not only will you feel your muscles working better, but you’ll see exterior results like slimmer arms, tummy, and legs.
• You can build confidence: When your body is strong and looks trim and healthy, you’ll feel amazingly confident. Being able to do tasks on your own because you have the strength also encourages a feeling of capability and confidence.
• Burn extra calories easier: The more muscle your body has the more calories you burn. That means a few treats now and again aren’t out of the question.
• Fight diabetes: The more muscle you have the lower your risk for diabetes. If you do have diabetes, the extra muscle allows for better control of blood sugar.
• Osteoporosis help: It was once thought that after a certain age, one could not control osteoporosis. Once you started to have bone and muscle weakness, that was it. Now research shows that even if you start late in life, or already have signs of osteoporosis, muscle mass building can still help you to have stronger, healthier muscles, more bone mass, and reduce body pains.

How to Safely Build Muscle Mass

The first step whenever you start a new exercise program is to see your doctor. While muscle building is great, it’s not for everyone. Your doctor will be able to tell you if strength training is safe for your specific health profile.

If you’ve never exercised much, or done any sort of strength training or weight lifting, it’s best to talk about your exercise plan with a professional, such as a trainer, or a gym instructor. Muscle building exercises are only beneficial when completed correctly. Not to mention, if you do an exercise wrong, you could really hurt yourself.

If you already regularly exercise, and have some experience with strength training, there are some good DVDs and articles you may be interested in. Many resources focus on building muscle mass in seniors.

• The article, Strength Training for Seniors, covers some great basic facts that can get you started with strength training.
• Another handy article, elderly resistance training, outlines more details about this exercise.
• Try the Seniors Light Weight Exercise DVD.
• Geri-Fit is a great total strength and flexibility workout especially for seniors.