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What exercises help to increase muscle tone as we age?
At 83 my muscle tone is decreasing. Walking is helpful, but does not address all my muscles. Is there a good plan written from Mayo or others describing exercises my wife and I can use to restore muscle tone without doing damage?
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@jharsh
Hi,
I always buy organic skinless chicken breasts and organic chop meat to use in a variety of vegetables. We have a brand of chicken sausage here that I like so I will roast them along with potatoes and any vegetable I happen to have on hand. I eat fish and am partial to Baramundi and Salmon….neither of them farm raised.
Beans and nuts are a good source of high protein. I use almonds and walnuts in salads and any baked goods or dishes such as chicken piccata. Always snacking on pistachios and peanuts.
I don’t eat too many beans but I do make lentil or pea soup on occasion. One of my favorite snacks is to take a can of chickpeas, rinse and then coat with olive oil, sal and pepper and roast until golden brown. They taste like nuts .Another snack is edamame.
There are high protein vegetables you may already be eating like Brussels sprouts. You can goggle a list and select your favorites. I am partial to kale and spinach and sweet potatoes and squash and often use spaghetti squash as pasta.
One thing I do is use chia seeds a lot… very high in protein (not cheap) and I sprinkle in salads or whatever and have made chia pudding as a desert. I also use ground flax seed.
Low fat dairy products like yogurt…I eat plain Greek yogurt topped with fruit and a sprinkle of nuts or granola for breakfast or avocado toast. I eat eggs and keep hard boiled on hand to throw in salads or make egg salad.
I try to eat gluten free as much as I can and buy and keep in the freezer any gluten free hamburger rolls, English muffins and bagels. Gluten free products are not cheap but I try to avoid as much wheat as possible. The pasta that I do eat is Dreamfield which has more protein.
I make a fair amount of soups because you can put just about any good protein in them.
I have a lot of seasonings and oils and vinegars in my pantry along with a boatload of chicken and beef bone broth. If a recipe calls for water I will substitute one of the bone broths instead because it tastes better depending on the recipe. The sipping bone broth is a good drink in the afternoon .
If you are already a cook you won’t need a special high protein cookbook. Goggle the high proteins for seniors and pick your favorites. If you feel you need more you can always supplement with a daily protein shake but watch the grams of sugar listed. And remember to translate grams into teaspoon to get the real idea of how much sugar there really is in the product.
I avoid canned foods except for San Mariano tomatoes and chickpeas, try to get as much organic as I can in vegetables (not necessary for hard skinned vegetables like avocados) and organic chicken, meat and fresh water fish.
I like to cook and eat lol so this is long. I have a healthy appetite and weigh 108 on my 5ft 6 inch frame. If I want a pizza or a good steak I go for it.
There is a recipe discussion on this forum somewhere that was fairly active for a while.
FL Mary
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8 ReactionsMy lumpectomies we’re in July. I started PT in September of the same year. At my age, Medicare and my supplemental insurance paid for my PT. Good luck with your care and finances.
Good for you!
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3 Reactionskeep up the good work
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3 ReactionsDue to trauma and depression I one day end of 2016 sat down with the laptop, and never walked or exercised again. I go upstairs to the bathroom and bedroom and had a brief happy period that ended because something very bad happened, and because of surgery gone awry. I have been sedentary ever since. Ordering groceries online, hardly ever going outside.
I will hear this Friday if some sort of training via video is available, if not I don't know how to get motivated to start. The lack of motivation has been the reason, that and not wanting to feel my body at all. But I notice so much is wrong, inflammations all over my body, almost every joint hurts and I feel I hardly have any muscles left.
I have been diagnosed with hyper mobility but that ship has sailed. It may enter the harbour one day if I manage to get back up and running and that would be great; to move and to be as flexible as I was before. But i should start with walking before running.
I too danced, although not professionally but I was very dedicated. When I had no money for the pointe ballet shoes I danced on the tip of my toes. It hurt to begin with but I got used to it. I had to make do. I stopped dancing though, and have not been active ever since.
I read about the supplements but can't afford them; this is verrry frustrating I must say! I will have to make do with proper food.
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5 ReactionsFor those who don't know, my insurance company (Anthem MediBlu) covers monthly membership at Planet Fitness. It's called their Silver Sneakers program. Don't know if other insurance companies offer something similar.
Yes! Gotta keep moving.
Great inspirational post above. Appreciate the details!!!!
Realitytest, you've got the heart of a helper!
@ellamster
Hi,
Your muscles have atrophied after such a long period of inactivity but you know what to do and have taken the first steps by requesting a video and being on this forum.
Forget the supplements and just start walking. I mean right now get up and periodically throughout the day, schedule a certain number of steps that you want to target for that day. Get a pedometer in the meantime. You can walk indoors or outdoors depending on your layout. It doesn’t matter if you walk circles around your home.
Just hold a couple of 4 or 5 lb weights while you do this and after a while you can start using the weights. Stretch to the sky when you get out of bed and every time you get up. Make deliberate double trips to whatever you do at home…I mean by this, make two trips to the garbage pail instead of one. Get an inexpensive watch on Amazon that will track your steps and nudge you with alerts to get up and move. These are small steps but you sound like you really want to start. Eat good protein instead of the supplements.
Exercise releases the good hormones..endorphins and serotonin…it will improve your mood, brain and concentration.
Using the stairs is great too. Wear good shoes or sneakers around the house.
I wish you the best of luck
FL Mary
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9 ReactionsThank you, Frenchie! You yourself are clearly an extraordinarily compassionate person, and I'm glad to have gotten to know you if only online.
Silver Sneakers is available not only through some private insurance but Advantage Plans. Also through some MediGap plans. I'm glad to have chosen Plan F (no long offered), but one perk missing is my company doesn't offer . Silver Sneakers. I looked into changing to a different plan, but unfortunately, it's between impossible and undesirable to change as it requires medical underwriting. (That first choice is permanent and of course, with added age, the medical underwriting is bound to uncover something requiring either a much increased premium or outright refusal.
Silver Sneakers covers not only Planet Fitness but a few other gyms nationwide. However, since Planet Fitness only costs $10/month (plus a modest annual renewal fee) it's certainly not worth changing plans, which in my case would almost triple my premium . (Their disqualifying medical finding is my AFIB.)
A note to all, most of all those about to sign up for Medicare. Think your choice through very carefully as it's irreversible. That initial choice is the only time you can choose any plan you wish without that medical underwriting!
And another point, however your finances may be straitened, do NOT miss taking out a Medigap option however basic. I almost never have any out of pocket expenses, as my Medigap policy covers that 20% deductible and others. Wow! After the 80% Medicare coverage, that 20% deductible (for everything where there is a deductible) can cost you a fortune -for the rest of your life. Every type of Medigap is somewhat different and not all cover all deductibles but they cover most. Make a careful choice!!
(My 8 hr spinal surgery didn't cost me a penny out of pocket (apart from transportation, hotels and the expenses of my helpers. )
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5 ReactionsThinking I really ought to begin a separate FYI thread to alert pre-Medicare members - about this critical feature of ones choice. The importance of a MediGap Plan.
I should add that although Advantage plans provide many attractive perks, coverage is strictly limited to a given area. This means if - when, really - you develop a complex problem, you are apt to find yourself unable to seek out the most qualified specialists.
IMO it's very short-sighted to sign up with an Advantage plan (unless you live near a major medical center like Mayo) as you are apt to find yourself limited in choice of practitioners. It can easily make a life or death difference. I consulted eight surgeons nationwide before my major spinal reconstruction. Not only was there no qualified surgeon in my home territory, but not even in my whole state (Pennsylvania)!
Likewise, for organ transplants, open heart surgery, and the diagnosis and treatment of complex conditions.
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6 ReactionsDepending on any restrictions (self chosen or medically required), animal proteins are very rich in protein. I eat meat, as lean as possible, and chicken, trying to focus on fish - especially fatty fish high in antioxidants, like salmon, sardines, tuna and others. (Catch there, is that to avoid toxins like mercury, one can be forced to pay much extra for "wild caught" as farmed fish is somewhat contaminated.)
I've been getting a lot of mileage lately out of canned salmon, which I use in green salad (I'd never have thought it would taste good but it does) , croquettes, salmon salad. The bagged salmon now available is very tasty, and handy for carry around snacks (doesn't require refrigeration). Both are economical too.
Sardines are surprisingly cheap, though it's getting harder to find inexpensive wild caught sardines. They're super handy as snacks to carry around, though.
As for non-meat based protein, eggs,: cheese (I like lower fat cheese too) and softer cheeses and milk products like ricotta, cottage cheese, yogurt (I LOVE the thicker kinds low/no fat or not). I used to make it, in fact, which I learned how to do from my former Turkish by marriage family.
Haven't used artificial meat products much, but I hear some are good substitutes though they're not as much cheaper than meat as I'd expect. May also be high in salt.
If you consume other non animal based protein, you can make many things out of tofu - it can be a meat substitute, especially with spices. (There are some really intriguing recipes on line turning tofu into fabulous stir fry and other ways of utilizing it in mixed dishes). Also, seitan and combination legumes/grains (some "ancient" for variety). Just make sure, you are getting all the amino acids you need so they are "whole proteins" at least, in combination.
I don't know as much as I'd like to about whether one needs to consume these partial proteins in one meal or whether it works getting them during the day in separate meals or snacks.
Protein powders (watching out for sugars or other unhealthy contents) can be very handy for healthy smoothies especially if you don't worry - I do - about high fructose ingredients like ripe bananas.
Whole grains (including whole grain bread) with other ingredients can be delicious (I love hummus, falafel and
tabouli - bulgur especially with whole grain pita.) The whole grain is not higher protein, but healthier because of fiber and other ingredients,
There are MANY references on line about protein sources. If you sign up for "My Fitnesspal" and enter your meal ingredients, it will let you know how many grams of protein you're getting. (It will also tell you fat content, which you say you need to know). Excessive protein WILL turn into fat if you don't exercise enough to burn it up, though.
I like nuts, have gotten a bit addicted to roasted almonds (healthiest are salt free, overall ). There are a LOT of delicious flavored kinds, which can be treacherous for calorie counters. Soy flavors, smoked, a Thai "lime leaf" and more. Trader Joes carries a great variety ) . They contain protein, fat and fiber. I'm trying to cut down, though! Some nuts (and nut pastes) are high in protein, but you need to familiarize yourself with their ingredients to compare (pistachios, hazelnuts and cashews are very high fat.)
If you acquaint yourself about high protein foods you like, it will be easy to get enough protein without excessive nit-picking (listing every single calorie source!). One critical ingredient to success, is to find foods you enjoy which provide needed ingredients. Then you won't feel deprived. If you like curry, you have a head start.
Good luck!
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