As we age, (especially post-menopause & post-andropause), our bodies naturally experience a decline in skeletal muscle mass and bone mineral density with the passing of years. And with it, we lose our capacity to enjoy activities of daily living, and pleasurable experiences, such as time with family, gardening, cooking, cleaning & others.
“Muscles play various essential physiological roles in humans and a robust skeletal muscle mass is crucial for maintaining body health. Thus, loss of muscle mass can result in diverse functional and metabolic derangements in the elderly adults. Muscle strength also diminishes with aging. These progressive losses of muscle mass and strength are eventually related to increased disability and mortality in elderly adults.” Kim et.al., The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 73, Issue 8; Published 08 October, 2017
How To Mitigate Against Skeletal Muscle Mass & Bone Mineral Density Loss
To mitigate against the natural decline in skeletal muscle mass & bone density with age, resistance training in the form of:
- Weight lifting (external loads).
- Body weight strength training.
- Swimming.
- Balance Exercises.
- Walking with added weights (wrist, ankle, weighted vest).
- House chores.
All of these modalities of physical activity/exercise can be used.
About The Author
Oshane Bryant: BSc Geology, Geography Minor; ACE CPT since 2012; Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Accelerator Graduate-2018 cohort; Licensed KUKIBO Martial Arts & Self Defense, Senior Instructor; OB Fitness Founder & Managing Director.