SENIOR MOMENTS / Aging and Sarcopenia – Use Your Muscle or Lose It!

Volume 1, Number 2

By Dean Walters

Senior Moments is dedicated to the issues we all face as we progress through our years.

Boomers and seniors are a huge, fast growing market.

Doing nothing now to build and maintain strength and fitness invites the consequences of frailty and decrepitude and—most important—loss of independence in later life. -anonymous To sell us goods and services, advertising copywriters must know the needs and concerns of a graying population. For example, they know that two of our major concerns are: 1) Will I have enough money for a comfortable retirement? And 2) will I stay healthy enough to enjoy it?

Regarding the first concern (money), I’m not a personal finance expert, so we will skip over that part. However, for the other…

Most advertising that addresses senior health and fitness is often about long-term health care insurance, special alert necklaces or bracelets, walk-in showers or vitamin supplements. Now, while I am a huge proponent of healthy eating and scientifically proven food-based supplements, not much is being said about what happens to us if we lose muscle mass. And this is a very serious matter.

Sarcopenia is that strange looking Greek word meaning “poverty of flesh.” It is what we see in the elderly who are bent over and tottering from a combination of osteoporosis and the wasting away of muscle tissue (sarcopenia). It won’t happen to me, you may think to yourself. In our youth, most of us couldn’t imagine ever being old. In the words of a country song: “I’m ten feet tall and bulletproof.” Yet aging starts earlier than we think.

Inactive men and women over age 30 slowly lose muscle tissue every year. At about age 50 the loss starts happening faster. After age 65, it accelerates even more. Visit a nursing home and witness its ultimate toll. Loss of muscle mass is often an underlying reason many end up there, and remain dependent on others.

We are going to age, all of us. We are going to get old. But we don’t have to get ‘elderly.’ With regular activity – particularly resistance exercise — we really can apply the brakes. Getting adequate amounts of clean, healthy protein is also extremely important, but we’ll discuss that topic at a later date. With good nutrition and resistance training, there is a good chance of retaining a decent degree of strength and fitness right up to the end of life.

On the other hand, poor eating habits and a do-nothing lifestyle will greatly accelerate our decline. The choice is ours. It’s a great life. Make a great choice. Get a barbell, dumbbells, a kettlebell, resistance bands or a personal trainer who specializes in older adults. Give sarcopenia a good, swift kick in the butt. It’s one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and your family.

Dean Walters is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and a Certified Personal Trainer with specialties in Senior Fitness and Fitness Nutrition; and the owner of Well-Tech International.

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