Maintaining Flexibility Through the Years

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 If you're active, have a cardiovascular balance, strengths, and a workout style, you might think you've got it covered. But no, that's not the case, not at all. There's still another area that most people, a lot of men, overlook: flexibility. For those of you who can't remember the last time you did yoga or did a toe curl without bending your knees, flexibility is much more vital than you think, and improving it could even add years to your life. Here's what you need to know: Being flexible isn't just about extending your legs or performing difficult body contortions like you would at the gym, but also about maintaining movement. Flexibility is the ability to move through the range of motion of a joint, according to Alex Rothstein, an American exercise physiologist and professor of exercise science at New York Tech. Elasticity is the passive ability to move through a range of motion, and mobility is the active ability to move, he adds. Here are five re...

How to Maintain Muscle Mass After 50

 Being strong and capable after 50 is more than just being in shape; it's finding the strength that will keep us active and independent for years to come. Building muscle after 50 and living a long life requires a more deliberate approach than when we first entered our youth, something that those bats of nature and a pack of them genetically engineered for us. The involuntary muscle breakdown in men and women after age 30, of approximately 3 to 5% lean mass loss per decade, is known as sarcopenia, says Nikki Ternay, health and fitness coach and co-founder of MavenHeart, the women's empowerment program.

But for women, changes in retinal levels during perimenopause and menopause can accelerate this process, especially as we approach our fifties. Gaining muscle mass after 50 is hard work, but one thing is clear: your future self will never thank you. Muscles are the key to youth: our connection with muscle mass and health is proven. Strength training is especially indicated for reversing sarcopenia, as it stimulates muscle growth and helps maintain bone density and mobility, adds Ternay. For women over 50, weight lifting helps partially repair muscle wear and tear, in line with age and hormonal changes.

Lean towards lifting weights

Scleral muscle mass can also help prevent leg diseases. According to Ternay, the higher the muscle-to-fat ratio, the less likely it is to develop diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity. Kale saves a lot of energy and helps maintain blood sugar stability, which can also help negatively impact type 2 diabetes, she adds. "Gaining muscle is possible at any age, but the body needs more stimulation as we go through menopause to achieve the results we want," she explains. Ternay.

As muscles age, their warm-up and preparation for exercise slows down. Warming up before a strength session prepares the body for the work, increasing blood circulation and recognizing that it will decrease the chances of injury. The best warm-up length is 15 to 20 minutes, with movements that raise the heart rate to a low, steady state, as recommended by Ternay. Gentle walking is a good warm-up to do anywhere, or if you're at the gym, hop on a stationary bike for a bit. Bodyweight exercises, such as planks and squats, can also be used to warm up the body before training (see more warm-up exercises for any workout).

Heating and cooling are important

Just as you train slowly, so do those who come out of training slowly. Ternay explains that a cool-down allows you to regain your body temperature and your heart rate returns to a slightly slower rate, which is safer than disrupting these cycles by abruptly stopping the exercise. A thorough cool-down can include gentle stretching, easy walking, or using a roller. Foam rollers or even a massage gun, keep in mind (here are the benefits of foam rollers to release any muscle tension). Spend 10 to 15 minutes cooling down to give your body time to catch up and reduce muscle soreness.

When starting with weights, you first need to know what proper exercise entails. This way you can be sure you're working your core muscles and avoiding any injury. If you've never weightlifted before, Ternay suggests consulting with a trusted trainer, either in person or virtually, to ensure you're performing the movement correctly and to customize a program that's in line with your fitness level and age. But you don't need to overwhelm yourself with learning the correct position start by focusing on bodyweight exercises, such as seated squats, lunges, and pushes, to understand what moves your body, what feels good, and what challenges you.

Learn the correct technique first

From there, you can gradually progress with weights and strength training. Flexibility is gaining ground, not only in training but also in everyday life. Greater mobility means you'll be able to stretch and bend more easily, with less effort, without the risk of accidents. In your workouts, and in a very specific way, you'll find the right foot to perform exercises safely and obtain the greatest benefits. Not to mention that a good base of mobility makes it easier to load and unload dumbbells.

The DOS Gauss recommends performing three to five dynamic stretches (or stretching and Feeling strong and capable after 50 is more than just being in shape: it's about gaining the courage to endure years of activity and independence. Building muscle in your 50s and beyond makes you more aware of how nature and genetics work against you, and you should just keep up with your own pace, I suppose.

Conclusion

Once we're over 30, both men and women face involuntary muscle loss about 3 to 5% of lean mass per decade, or sarcopenia, says Nikki Ternay, health and fitness coach and founder of MavenHeart, a women's empowerment program. As a general rule, however, this gradual process will occur more quickly for women, based on changes in estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause, particularly heightened as we enter our 50s. Gaining a little muscle after 50 requires a plan, but one thing is certain: your early self will never regret it.

Youth comes from muscle the relationship between muscle mass and health has a good documented basis. Strength training is designed to prevent sarcopenia; it can help stimulate muscle growth and maintain bone density, mobility, and health, says Ternay. It can help counteract some of the rapid muscle loss due to aging and hormonal fluctuations for women over 50. The fatty meat of muscle mass can also prevent leg diseases. According to Ternay, the more muscle the body has in relation to fat, the lower the chances of also fighting diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity. 

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