How to Maintain Strength and Muscle as You Age

I can't tell you how often people ask me how I keep my strength, and maintain my muscle mass as I age.  I will be 60 this year and I'm stronger than I have ever been.  The three things that I credit for maintaining my strength and muscle as I age are; a daily spiritual practice, regular strength training, and getting enough protein in my diet.

Daily Spiritual Practice
I believe we all have unlimited access to a Divine Eternal Life Giving Source.  Each morning the first thing I do is to connect with my Divine Source, I call it my coffee time with God.  I thank God for my life, health, and strength, I read something inspirational, and then sit in silence basking in God's unconditional love.  I'm always amazed at how the stress in my life melts away like snow in the light of warm sunshine during this time.
I am convinced that if you feed your soul first, your mind and your body will also be nourished.  Since starting this daily practice over 15 years ago, I've only missed one day of work due to sickness.

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Too Little Protein Plus Too Little Strength Training Equals Muscle Loss

Lots of people seem to think that once they reach the age of 40 they become weaker, less toned, and less fit.  They blame these conditions on "old age".  As a personal trainer I hear all about the aches and pains of old age.  Most people think there is very little they can do to avoid the physical degeneration that is associate with aging. On the contrary, there are two things you can do that are very effective in combating the aging process, and they are increasing the amount of protein you consume daily, and strength training weekly

Most of the physical decline you associate with aging is caused by muscle loss.  Muscle loss that is associated with aging is called sacopenia and it can begin as early as your 30s and it accelerates with time if you don't do anything about it.  Fortunately, increasing the amount of protein you consume daily combined with participating in a weekly strength training program has been proven to be the best approach to curbing, and even reversing the effects of sacopenia.  Please click here to read the entire post...

Are You Investing in Your Health and Fitness to Prepare You For Independence as You Age?

Many people put aside the necessary funds for retirement but they neglect to invest in their health, and fitness for physical independence as they get older.  How much can you enjoy your retirement years if you are physically broke?

If you are over 50 years of age it's time to start seriously investing in a health and fitness plan that will help protect you from the mental and physical ailments associated with age.  Beginning in your 40s and as early as your 30s for some, a natural process of losing muscle called sacopenia starts to take place in your body.  You can lose as much as 1 to 2 lbs of muscle each year beginning in your 40s and this process accelerates with age if left unabated.

Sacopenia can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue, insulin resistance, increased risk of falls, and loss independence.  These are the things normally associated with the aging process.  Not a pretty picture.  However, you can begin now to combat sacopenia, and in some cases reverse this process through diet and exercise.


Increased protein consumption, and strength training are two of the most effective ways to combat muscle loss.  0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.36 grams per pound) has been the normal recommendation for daily protein intake for years.  However, new studies show that 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.45 to 0.68 grams per pound) may be more beneficial in building, maintaining and reducing muscle loss.

Strength training also know as weight lifting is the best form of exercise to build muscle and strength which helps maintain your independence as you age.  And it's never to late to start.  People well into their 90s have been shown to gain muscle, and strength on a properly designed weight lifting program.  However, the earlier you start the better. I recommend that you strength train 2 to 3 times each week beginning in your 50s.

Now that you see it's just as important to invest in your health and fitness program as it is to invest in your retirement account, where do you begin?  I suggest you find a nationally certified fitness professional and have them custom design a strength training program for you.  You can also download my Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Strength Training Programs for Over 50 by following this link:  Forever Fit and Firm

A Message to the Baby Boomers

I'm a personal trainer and member of the Baby Boomers and it's my mission to to help each one of you to stay healthy and fit as you age. Your body is designed for movement and the worst thing you can do for your health is to become inactive. "Use it or lose it" is especially true when it comes to maintaining your muscle mass, strength, and independence as you age.

Research has proven that strength training is the best thing you can do to preserve your muscle mass, increase your strength, and stay independent as you age. Strength training is important because as early as your 30s you can begin to experience age related muscle loss know as sarcopenia, and this process accelerates with time is left unabated. If you are inactive, you can lose up to 10 pounds of muscle each decade starting at age 40.

Loosing muscle is detrimental to your fitness because muscle is the component of your body that burns the majority of the calories you consume each day. Therefore, when you lose muscle your body requires less calories to function. Consequently, those extra calories you consume are stored as fat around your waist, hips, and other places.

Your body constantly burn calories, even when we’re doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about six calories a day to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only two calories daily. This small difference can add up over time. In addition, after a bout of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, increasing your average daily metabolic rate.

Fortunately, strength training can mitigate, and even reverse the loss of muscle at any age. Studies have shown that people in 90s gain muscle, and increase their strength level when they start weight lifting on a regular basis.

Increasing your metabolism isn’t the only benefit of strength training. It also helps:

Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body burns more calories more efficiently which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.

Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle protects your joints from injury. It also helps maintain flexibility and balance which are crucial to remaining independent as you age.

Boost your stamina. Building muscle helps to increase your energy level.

Improve your sense of well-being. Strength training can boost your self-confidence, improve your body image, and reduce the risk of depression.

Sleep better. People who strength train on a regular basis are less likely to have insomnia.

Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.

It's my hope that 2016 is the year you take control of your health and fitness by starting to strength train on a regular basis.  Start by finding a certified fitness professional to design a safe and effective exercise program for you.

A good strength training program should consist of exercises that target all the major muscle groups and should be performed two to three times each week.  You can download my favorite strength training programs by clicking on this link: Forever Fit and Firm.