How to Keep Muscle Tone Throughout the Aging Process
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Once you’ve hit age 40, you’ve most likely started to experience some of the normal bodily changes that come along with the aging process. Your metabolism might be a bit slower, losing weight is more of a challenge, and keeping your muscle tone can be a much more difficult task.
In your early twenties, you didn’t have to work as hard to see the same results. Your recovery time post-workout is much shorter when you’re younger, too – exercise takes more of a toll on your body as you get older. To keep your muscle tone and density as you age, it’s important to include strength training several times a week. You may also want to learn more about muscle tone and strength training in order to ensure that you are meeting what your body needs to keep going even as you age.
To avoid injuries, try this expert tip: lift lighter weights, but perform more repetitions. If you constantly lift heavy weights, eventually your knees, back, hips and upper body will begin to give out and become more prone to injuries. A smarter long-term approach is to go with lighter weights – this still builds and maintains muscle, and trying to push yourself too hard as you get older won’t do any good. In fact, it can hinder your goals by making you more susceptible to injury.
Stretching should be a vital part of your routine as well. Perform either one single stretch lasting 60 seconds, or six separate stretches lasting 10 seconds. Stretching is helpful for preventing injuries, increasing flexibility and enhancing your overall physique, and these two methods work equally well.
Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/strength/the-best-way-to-keep-building-muscle-after-40/ar-BBi9Mhx
