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How to Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age

Here are 6 Tops Tips To Adopt

After the age of 30, we lose our muscle mass by 1 percent every year. With time, the cumulative effect amounts to significant muscle loss.
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Most people assume that our diet should stay the same throughout the years – i.e., healthy and consistent. But the truth is that we should eat foods that preserve muscle mass after 30.

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Many people also assume that because skipping breakfast and making poor nutrition choices never hurt them before, therefore it is just something they are born with and won’t likely ever bother them. This is another myth!

Remember, poor lifestyle choices in food and exercise take their toll as you age. And although there you can rebuild your health bit by bit, it is better to just eat properly!
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Of course, people who embrace good habits have a head start. Even so, they must implement measures like strengthening the abdominals that target their muscle health as well as muscle mass.

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Check out 6 strategies you can use to strengthen your muscles and keep them functioning.
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1. Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age Tip #1
Check Your Vitamin D Levels and Nutrient Intake

To check if you are deficient, you must do a simple blood test, administered by the doctor, of course. If your results show a deficiency, he may advise you to increase your vitamin D consumption with a supplement.
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Several studies have found that getting enough Vitamin D helps combat inflammation and increases muscle protein synthesis. Both these are excellent in improving the body’s muscle strength, balance and power.
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You should note that supplements are always meant to be a nutritional safety net because your body can generate its own vitamin D too.
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However, as you age, your body makes less Vitamin D via exposure to the sun, making supplements the optimal choice.
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There are supplements and supplements. Make sure you take bio-available supplements. Most supplements available on the market are not absorbable by your body.
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Not only are you wasting your money and not feeding your body what it needs, you are also giving it (your body) unnecessary work and grief: It must filter these out of your system; or if it can’t do that, then it must dump them as best as it can, wherever it can.

In addition to vitamin D, take up to 2 grams of more of vitamin C daily, a broad-spectrum multivitamin, and minerals, which are the spark plugs of life.
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Inflammation from the wear-and-tear of daily life, and from working out to keep your muscles in shape, can lead to many degenerative problems including arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
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Curcumin extracted from the turmeric root is excellent for calming the flames of inflammation. This should be one of the ‘musts’ of your daily supplements.
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Take advantage of the advances in science and use stem cell support supplements as you go about strengthening and building up your muscles.
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Stem cells help stimulate your bone marrow to produce adult stem cells which help with self-healing and self-regeneration. An ultimately intelligent step to take!
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2. Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age Tip #2
Do Resistance Training

You need to incorporate weight training into your daily workout regime. If you haven’t exercised a day in your life, it is time to start now. A consistent fitness routine is the name of the game.
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Strength training is vital in building muscle mass in the first place. The best recommendation it to do at least half an hour of resistance training exercises a minimum of 3 times a week.
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You must vary the exercises to really tax your muscles. You can do this by changing the number of reps and the weights you use. For example, you can use heavy weights with fewer reps and then lower weights and more reps.

It is also important to remember that an hour before you hit the gym you must consume a protein meal. The amalgamation of exercise and protein is what gives you beneficial results. When you work out with the necessary protein, the results are incredible.

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3. Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age Tip #3
Don’t Stop the Cardio

Cardio is essential for muscle maintenance. When you do aerobic exercises they work on the body’s reaction to insulin. Not many people understand that insulin also helps with muscle repair and health.
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Even a quick cardio workout at home increases your blood flow, which includes the injection of nutrients into your muscles. You must keep a goal of at least half an hour of moderate to intense cardio like swimming or brisk walking for at least 3 or 4 days in a week.
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The results won’t be just muscle preservation but you will end up feeling great too.
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4. Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age Tip #4
Eat a Balanced Diet Using REAL FOOD

You must review your habits and make the changes. Go easy on the snacks and maintain a balanced diet to eliminate whatever nutritional deficiencies that you may have.
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Remember, only proteins are not enough. You must include a healthy balance of nutrients. Simply put, watch what you eat.
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If you cannot give up desserts, you can treat them as rewards on your cheat day. If you achieve your workout goals each week, you get to indulge in one savory dessert. But remember do not make them a part of your daily diet.
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5. Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age Tip #5
Eat Quality Protein

Amino acids present in protein are the building blocks of a muscle. This is one reason diet overshadows your exercise in the things you need to change for a healthier you.
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One particular amino acid, leucine, is fantastic at fine-tuning your body’s muscle building mechanism. You cannot just have a few meals at the beginning, notice results and give up. The time after that is crucial.
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You must stick to the high protein diet that you are accustomed to now. If you switch back, all your hard work will topple just as easily.

Some food items which are excellent sources of protein include Greek yogurt and milk which have leucine. Lean meat, fish, non-genetically-modified tofu and soy also contain “muscle-friendly” amino acids.
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30 Grams

Now that you know what you must eat, here is how much exactly should be a part of your diet. The optimal amount of protein seems to be 30 grams in every meal.
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Remember that too much of something is not always good. The human body does not have a storage tank for the extra protein you consume. So if you eat half a chicken that your body will need, eat part of it, and store the rest.

In easier terms, 30 grams is equal to 3 eggs, 1 cup of Greek yogurt or ½ cup of hard cheese, and a salmon fillet weighing 5 ounces.
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6. Keep Your Muscles Healthy As You Age Tip #6
Take Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are known as essential fatty acids. They boost everything from the health of your cardiovascular system to your mood. A research also showed that omega-3 fats are great at maintaining muscle mass too.

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They preserve muscle mass by working as anti-inflammatory powerhouses as opposed to the inflammation that breaks down muscle mass in a body. A recent study also found that these fats work on the way your body uses muscles as well. Sarcopenia, the depletion of muscles, is also treated through the consumption of omega- 3.

Some foods rich in Omega- 3 include flax seeds, salmon, eggs and walnuts. All of these things can easily be made a part of your daily diet.

Article by Judy Robinson
Judy is a passionate health and lifestyle blogger. She loves to write about healthy lifestyle, fitness 101 and DIY-related topics. Follow Judy on Twitter: @judyrobinson 

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 Share with us your experience and tips and secrets for keeping your muscles healthy as you age.
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