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What exercises help to increase muscle tone as we age?
Aging Well | Last Active: Mar 12, 2023 | Replies (129)Comment receiving replies
I agree with @sueinmn. This is a great question. @johncottingham I hope you don't mind, but I made your question the title of the discussion to gather more input from fellow members.
I'm visiting my mom right now. She's 82 and recently started a low impact version of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program that my husband and I do. She was always a walker and uses trekking poles. But we (and she) noticed an increasing sloping of the shoulders and muscle loss. I can tell you in just a few short months of adding light weights and body weight exercises to her walking, her body shape has changed. She stands straighter and her shoulders have muscle and the shape of a 60 year old (in my opinion).
Here's a video with Mayo Clinic's Dr. Nathan LeBrasseur discussing muscle loss during the aging process and also looks at strategies and therapies to maintain muscle health. I like the way that he emphasizes activity and avoids the word "exercise". That is a tough pill for some to swallow. So grab an activity you like to do. You'll do it more often and with joy. Find a buddy to do it with.
Replies to "I agree with @sueinmn. This is a great question. @johncottingham I hope you don't mind, but..."
THANK YOU for this video. I am 57 and have systemic circulation problems decades beyond my chronological age so I do not fit in all the age related categories literally every resource refers to. This has made it difficult to understand, find support and resources to help.
In reply to @sueinmn … thank you for this info. I am wondering what type of trekking poles your mother uses? I have severe arthritis in my left foot and can walk adequately on even surfaces, but would like to have poles to resume hiking in the woods, etc….also, given my foot limitations, making sure I find ways to exercise for muscle mass is difficult as my foot gets very uncomfortable when putting too much pressure on it. I do (women’s) push-ups 3-4 times a week and resistant band PT exercises at home. What do you think of the low impact HIIT program? I’m guessing I could find some on YouTube to try, but do you have any opinion about the capacity of a seriously arthritic foot ,an aging that type of exercise? Thanks for listening and all your care, kindness and invaluable help all the time❤️
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So interesting, thank you so much for posting this.