Maintaining strong muscles
HOW DOES the health of your muscles affect your overall health?
Caring for muscle health is not just a priority! In fact, any difficulty with muscle function, ability or performance can prevent us from doing the things we love most.
It is important to take care of your muscles so you can accomplish those bucket list dreams of yours.
Muscle weakness is commonly due to lack of exercise, ageing, muscle injury or pregnancy. It can also occur with long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. There are many other possible causes, which include stroke, multiple sclerosis, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome
According to Moses Chybar, health and wellness coach, lack of muscle fitness is one of the most common causes of muscle weakness. It may occur as a result of an inactive lifestyle. If muscles are not used then the fibres within the muscles are partially replaced with fat.
“Muscle wasting will eventually occur: muscles become less chunky and floppier. Each fibre is just as strong but there are not so many of them and they do not contract so effectively. When you feel them, they may be floppy and a little reduced in bulk. This leads to easy tiring when you try to do things that would have been easier when the muscles were fit. The condition is reversible with sensible, regular exercise regimes. It gets worse and more marked with increasing age,” Chybar said.
Muscle power is greatest and recovery times are shortest in our 20s and 30s. This is why most great athletes are in this age range. However, building of muscles through regular exercise can be done at any age. Many successful long-distance runners are aged over 40. Muscle tolerance for prolonged activity such as marathon running remains high for longer than the powerful, short-burst activities like sprinting.
“As we age, our muscles tend to lose strength and bulk and they become weaker. While most people accept this as the natural consequence of age, it is frustrating to be unable to do the things you could manage when younger. However, exercise is still beneficial and it is still possible to increase muscle power and strength with a careful and safe exercise routine,” Chybar said.
You can preserve the health of your muscular system by developing habits that reduce muscle stress and improve muscle function and strength. Here are a few tips below:
• STRETCHING
Static stretching can help relax muscles and improve flexibility. For best results, focus on each muscle for at least 30 seconds once or twice a day. Stretch after warming up or working out.
Before intense activity, your objective should be getting your muscles ready for the exertion and impact of a workout. Dynamic stretches are safe to do before exercise. Static stretching works to relax and release your muscles, which perfectly compliments a post-workout routine.
• RESISTANCE TRAINING
Lifting weights does not have to be synonymous with the bodybuilding bulk you see in magazines. Be it trimming down or bulking up, do some research on workouts that will deliver the results specific to your needs. Weight training strengthens muscle fibres. Increasing your muscle mass boosts metabolism and gives stabilisation and protection to joints. This means you will have more energy; you will burn more calories and fat while at rest, and you are less likely to sustain an injury!
• BREATHING
When lifting weights, and engaging in strenuous exercise, remember that when you are doing the most work, it is time to exhale. For example, if you are doing a push-up, breathe out when you are pushing; when you are doing a crunch, breathe out when you are contracting the abs muscles. Naturally, over time, you will find that it is automatic for you to exhale during exertion. For cardiovascular activities like running, make sure that you inhale more than you exhale because you want to allow as much air in your lungs as possible to increase endurance, release excess amounts of carbon dioxide, and avoid cramping.
• HYDRATION AND MINERALS
A hydrated body is more capable of processing toxins and bacteria in your muscles out and decreases joint pain by keeping the cartilage soft. How much water should you drink daily? Some say six cups, some eight glasses, some one gallon. The amount of water to drink varies from one person to another. The best rule of thumb to know how much water your body needs is to look at the colour of your urine when using the restroom. The darker the colour, the more water you need. Keep in mind that proper kidney function controls the deposits in your urine so if you are drinking lots and lots of water a day and your urine remains dark, you should consult a healthcare professional.
There are many possible causes of muscle weakness. These range from common to rare, serious to minor, temporary to permanent. Fortunately, most cases of muscle weakness which lack obvious cause are reversible. Muscle weakness is rarely the only sign of serious underlying disease.
If you have persisting muscle weakness, particularly if it is severe, localised, painful or present for more than two to three weeks, you should discuss this with your doctor.
Once your doctor has talked to you about your symptoms, they will be able to offer some guidance as to the likely cause. They will also be able to tell you if there are any serious concerns about your symptoms and will be able to refer you for further testing if required.