Muscle mass, like bone density, tends to diminish as people age. By the time they hit 60, the loss of muscle mass can lead to health problems and accidents related to frailty and balance issues. But through strength training and other exercise, you can counteract that natural loss of muscle mass and experience muscle growth, as well as a boost in your metabolism and other health benefits. And it doesn't take an expensive gym membership and hours of weightlifting every week to achieve this.
Equipment
Resistance training simply involves the contraction of muscles against an external resistance, including gravity while stair climbing and water while swimming. You might want to use free weights, special machines or rubber-like resistance bands. Push-ups, when done correctly, can provide an important strength-resistance workout. And if you're not interested in joining a gym, consider buying some equipment to use in the privacy and convenience of your home.
Muscle loss
The only way to truly build muscle mass is through resistance strength training. In the September/October 2006 issue of AARP magazine, the dramatic decline of muscle growth is explained by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., the fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. Westcott warns, "Unless you do resistance exercise---strength training with weights or elastic bands---you lose six pounds of muscle a decade."
Workout routines
The AARP article further explains that resistance training need not be a daily activity. In fact, exercise experts suggest taking a day or two in between strength-training workouts to allow muscles to recover. The article notes, "Building muscle is much easier than you might think. Strength training just 20 minutes a day, two or three times a week, for 10 to 12 weeks can rebuild three pounds of muscle and increase your metabolism by 7 percent." A certified trainer can help you develop a resistance-training program, but keep in mind that whatever workout you do should work all the major muscle groups in the shoulders, back, arms, legs and torso.
Other effects
Strength training not only provides the obvious boost and strength and muscle tone, but it can be a real energy boost, too, particularly coupled with cardiovascular exercise. The AARP article states that "added muscle has a halo effect on many systems of the body, reducing blood pressure, improving your ability to use glucose from the blood by 25 percent, increasing bone mass by 1 to 3 percent, and improving gastrointestinal efficiency by 55 percent."
Human growth hormone
Growth hormone is a naturally occurring chemical produced by the pituitary gland, though adults with a deficiency might be prescribed a synthetic version, called human growth hormone or hgH. The synthetic hormone has been associated with increased muscle mass, decreased body fat, increased exercise capacity and increased bone density, according to the Mayo Clinic. The clinic's experts, however, further state that, "The increase in muscle doesn't translate into increased strength. In fact, researchers have found that strength training is a cheaper, more effective way to increase muscle mass and strength (than taking hgH)... It isn't clear if human growth hormone may provide other benefits to healthy adults."
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