Muscle strength is crucial for good health, particularly as you get older. But muscle naturally deteriorates with age, and as people in the U.S. live longer, doctors are increasingly aware of issues related to the gradual loss of muscle function, called sarcopenia. The condition tends to accelerate after age 60, leading to a higher risk of falls and fractures.
There’s another reason why muscle health is top of mind. GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are becoming more popular, and some of their less-desirable side effects include dramatic reductions in muscle mass—because people taking them eat less, and take in less protein, which is essential for maintaining muscle strength.
Here’s what doctors say you need to know about muscle health and how to maintain it.
What happens to muscle as you age
Skeletal muscle fibers are cells, but unlike many cells in the body, they don’t divide. They bulk up by joining together.
Not using your muscles causes them to atrophy or shrink as the muscle fibers get smaller. Starting at age 30, adults lose about 0.8% of their muscle mass each year, mostly due to a lack of physical activity and changes in metabolism that lead to less protein reaching the muscle.
How to tell if you’re losing muscle
Doctors can perform a series of tests to determine the health of your muscle, ranging from walking and grip-strength tests to blood tests, scans, or biopsies if they are concerned about more severe muscle conditions.
But there are also red flags you can spot on your own to and bring up with your doctor. The first is noticing any changes in your ability to conduct daily activities, such as carrying bags, opening jars, or climbing stairs. Noticing changes in the number of pushups you can do—if those are part of your baseline—or whether it’s harder to get out of a low chair can also provide hints of changing muscle strength. If it takes you longer than 15 seconds to get up and sit down in a chair five times, for example, you might have reduced muscle strength, says Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Changes like these might not mean you have serious muscle loss yet, but they’re early signs that you should take your muscle health seriously. “We know muscle strength is critical to maintain vitality,” says Gonzalez-Lomas.
Can you regain muscle strength?
The good news is that you can build muscle strength at any age, says Dr. Nathan LeBrasseur, director of the Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic. “It’s never too late,” he says. “Even in your 80s and 90s, strength training is effective in improving muscle health and function.”
Read More: Why It’s So Hard to Reach Your Doctor—and How to Actually Get a Response
The best ways to build muscle strength
Doctors focus on three main approaches to getting muscles stronger, says Gonzalez-Lomas: nutrition, strength training, and medications. Most people can incorporate the first two on their own, although it takes commitment and dedication to sustain the changes. A healthy diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables as well as protein can keep muscles strong; fruits and vegetables can improve blood flow to muscles, ensuring that nutrients like protein reach them while providing antioxidants that accelerate recovery time after strength training. Gonzalez-Lomas says some doctors may recommend vitamin D supplements, especially for older people, as well as amino acid supplements and omega-3 fatty acids.
Strength training is a powerful muscle strengthener. It involves stressing the body’s muscles repeatedly, but it doesn’t necessarily require a costly gym membership or equipment. Focusing on simple moves for different body parts can be helpful, says LeBrasseur, such as squats or lunges for the lower body and “bridge” exercises involving lying on your back and lifting your hips to build the core. Plank positions are another good way to build core strength. If you can’t hold the plank with your legs fully extended, then start with your knees on the ground, he suggests.
Another good overall exercise involves lying on your stomach and lifting your arms and legs like Superman. It may take a while to lift your arms and legs higher off the ground, but practice will strengthen your foundation and keep your core strong. “It’s not easy to do, but it’s great,” says LeBrasseur.
For the upper body, pushups, modified pushups, or dips using a chair can keep arms toned. LeBrasseur recommends committing 15 to 30 minutes most days of the week to strength training to see the best results; the key to sticking with it is mixing up the exercises so you don’t get bored and stop doing them. “I emphasize to people that if you are awake for 16 hours, committing 30 minutes to your health and fitness amounts to 3% of your waking hours,” he says. “That’s all we’re asking: 3% of your day.”
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