{"id":12440,"date":"2017-08-28T07:00:55","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=12440"},"modified":"2017-08-25T09:51:34","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T14:51:34","slug":"7-tips-to-maintain-muscle-mass-as-you-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2017\/08\/7-tips-to-maintain-muscle-mass-as-you-age\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Maintain Muscle Mass As You Age"},"content":{"rendered":"

7 Tips to Maintain Muscle Mass As You Age\"7<\/a><\/h1>\n

Most people don\u2019t really think about what aging will mean for the body until it starts happening. I mean sure, you probably worried about wrinkles, but what about more practical issues like the loss of muscle mass?<\/p>\n

45% of seniors<\/a><\/strong> in the U.S. lose muscle mass as they age. The gradual loss of muscle over the years is called sarcopenia. While it influences everyone starting around the mid-40s, as you might expect, it\u2019s much more extreme for people who are inactive in their later years.<\/p>\n

Why Maintaining Muscle Mass Matters<\/h2>\n

Anyone reading this probably doesn\u2019t need that much convincing that losing muscle isn\u2019t a good thing. But the extent of the consequences of sarcopenia may not be self-evident. All of the things that become more difficult in age \u2013 doing chores around the house, walking, getting dressed, getting in and out of the bath \u2013 they\u2019re all going to be that much more difficult to do the less muscle mass you have.<\/p>\n

Loss of muscle mass also contributes to a greater risk of illnesses<\/strong><\/a> such as diabetes and osteoporosis. It\u2019s not just about having a harder time lifting heavy objects; losing muscle can influence many aspects of your day-to-day life and health. But you\u2019re not powerless to do anything about it.<\/p>\n

How to Keep Your Muscles Working Longer<\/h2>\n

There are seven steps you can take to slow the effects of sarcopenia.<\/p>\n

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  1. Add plenty of protein to your diet.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    One of the most important things you can do is include plenty of healthy proteins in your diet. That doesn\u2019t mean to go out and start eating steaks for every meal, but including a healthy mix of snacks and ingredients that include protein in your diet is important<\/p>\n

    Foods high in protein include:<\/p>\n