Struggling to stand up from a chair or the toilet without using your hands may seem like a minor issue, but it can actually be a strong sign of frailty. Frailty involves reduced muscle mass, strength, and energy, and it significantly impacts quality of life.
According to The Conversation, frailty is one of the leading causes of older adults losing their independence. This condition increases the risk of falls, hospital stays, slower recovery from illness, and early death.
“Muscle only stays if you use it,” and engaging in strength training is key to preventing and reversing frailty. Regular physical activity, particularly strength training, can help maintain muscle mass and mobility into old age.
Muscle loss often begins in your 30s and accelerates after 60, but it is not an inevitable part of aging. Simple lifestyle changes, like improving diet and staying active, can help prevent muscle decline.
Being in the “overweight” BMI range can be beneficial if you’re carrying muscle, not just fat. Lean muscle supports mobility, balance, and resilience, especially during illness or injury, and is more important than just weight alone.
Older adults need more protein than younger people to maintain muscle mass. Experts recommend consuming 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, spread across all meals.
Good protein sources include eggs, chicken, oily fish, beans, tofu, and whole grains. Ensuring adequate calorie intake is also essential, as undereating can lead to muscle breakdown, even with enough protein.
Strength training is one of the best ways to combat frailty. Activities like sit-to-stand repetitions, squats, lunges, and even bodyweight exercises can help keep muscles strong.
Other activities like walking, swimming, or cycling promote cardiovascular health but aren’t enough to maintain muscle mass on their own. To keep muscles strong, it’s important to regularly challenge them with strength exercises.
Watch for signs like difficulty standing up from low chairs, looser clothes around the arms and thighs, or feeling weaker when carrying items. Catching these early warning signs can help prevent further decline.
To age well, prioritize protein at every meal, stay active, and regularly engage in strength training. The key is to build and maintain muscle for independence and quality of life.
“Building and maintaining muscle is one of the most powerful tools we have for healthy ageing.”
Article updated 4 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
