Fighting Age Related Sarcopenia With Exercise

Sarcopenia is a degenerative disorder related to aging, which is characterized by loss of body muscle mass and weakness. Leading a sedentary life, and a lack of activity and exercise has been seen to increase the odds of being diagnosed with sarcopenia. Treatment of sarcopenia involves a targeted exercise program to improve body strength and restore overall body health. It is important to note that the exercise routine should result in benefits without straining the already weak body. Here is a look at some of the exercises and workouts that sarcopenia patients can benefit from.

Resistance training

Resistance training (RT), involving the use of weights, offers an ideal solution to combat sarcopenia. In fact, RT is advised in preference to aerobic exercises to sarcopenia patients. Some of the benefits of resistance training include:

• Improves body balance

• Boosts body metabolism

• Effectively lowers BP( blood pressure)

• Weight lifting increases body’s bone density

• Increases in estrogen levels following menopause has been seen as a one of Sacropenia’s causal factors. Resistance training offers health benefits to post-menopausal women.

Make sure you don’t over exert your body, tearing your muscles or ending up with fractured bones. Seek the help of a physician or qualified personal trainer before embarking on a resistance training program.

Balance training

Sarcopenia patients find it difficult to walk and suffer from a loss of body balance. They can perform simple exercises to improve body balance. Some of these exercises include:

Leg lifts: This is a simple exercise that involves lifting your leg out to one side, alternating between your right and left leg. Breathe out when you lift your leg and breathe in when you resume a relaxed position.

Leg extension: This involves extending your leg backwards, while keeping your knees straight.

Single leg stance: This is a basic exercise where you stand on one leg for a few seconds, take a pause for rest and repeat the same with your other leg.

Knee bends: This involves lifting your knee to your chest, with your foot at a distance of 6 inches off the floor.

It is advised that you do these exercises near and chair or table for support in case you lose your balance while performing them.

A chair crunch is another simple exercise that you can perform in the comfort of your home. You will need a straight-back chair without arms for this exercise. Keeping your back straight, cross your arms across your chest. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lean back slowly till your back lightly touches the chair’s back. Come back to the starting position. Repeat this about 8-9 times.

Cardio exercises

Sarcopenia patients can benefit from cardio exercises that improve heart as well as lung functionality. A cardio routine can complement your resistance training and flexibility exercises. Incorporating different exercise forms can also remove the tediousness of following the same workout routine.

Besides these exercises and training programs, you can also perform low-intensity Yoga and Pilates exercises to improve body flexibility. A well thought out training program coupled with a nutritious diet can help you fight sarcopenia and restore muscle mass as well as physical well being.