Why Adults Could Use More Muscle

Most men and women as they reach their senior years don't even consider doing strength training. Most look at resistance training as something for young people, and as they get older walking and other sorts of aerobics are something they feel they can handle better. The problem with light aerobics like walking is it will not preserve muscle tone, good balance, healthy bones and posture as you age. No matter what our age, we all need some sort of resistance training.

Of course nothing really matters without a healthy diet. It's said that diet accounts for about 80% of any health benefits you expect to reap, but exercise is a crucial component. In fact it's thought that strength training acts as a force multiplier in enhancing the benefits of a healthy diet.

John Turner Aged 67 Years Old photographed by Etta Clark

Americans over the age of 45 seldom do strength training exercises. According to a recent survey fewer than 25% of Americans do any strength training at all, and this of course drops the older we get. The people least likely to meet strength training recommendations by the government are women, especially widows, seniors over 85 years' old and obese people. None of these categories probably are very surprising but these people are at an especially higher risk factor than most.

The following are a few factors that are reasons why strength training is essential:

1. Muscle atrophy must be stopped. The older you get the faster your muscles break down. This process actually begins in a person's 20s if they lead a sedentary life, and after the age of 50 the atrophy will accelerate, with people losing almost a half a pound a year if nothing is done.

2. The necessity of a proper diet. To prevent diabetes and obesity a low carbohydrate diet is necessary. But it's commonly thought that when we begin working out we have to replace those carbs with protein, and sometimes low-quality protein. A high-protein diet can lead to weight gain, higher blood sugar levels, and kidney stress and cancer growth. Actually, for most people 40 to 70 grams of protein a day will be ample. Rather than replace those lost carbs with protein, replace them with healthy fats.

3. When you take your protein is important. With that in mind, it is still an important to feed the muscles the proper fuel, and that will be protein. But to build muscle will require taking it within an hour or so of exercise. An excellent source of protein is whey protein, and it is a great post exercise meal for increasing muscle growth.

Strength training does not have to necessarily be pumping iron, as trying to overdo heavy lifting often leads to injury, causing more harm than good. Practical applications of strength training are yoga, body weight exercises, elastic bands that provide safe resistance training and lighter varieties of free weights. Weight machines are also okay, but they don't provide as much help for the core muscles, where we get most of our balance and flexibility. Pilates are also an excellent option.

There are many things we can do to help us become healthier and to age better, and exercise is certainly a big part of it. Seniors are now getting more into yoga and other exercises such as Pilates to keep young. Rich Carroll is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rich_Carroll/1009184

Photo of John Turner aged 67 by Etta Clark www.ettaclark.com

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