"Money can't buy you a lean body in old age", saving money is worse than saving muscle

As the saying goes, " It's worth more than money to be thin in old age ", this is actually a very big misunderstanding. The harm of "thinness" caused by sarcopenia cannot be ignored. The attenuation of muscles throughout the body caused by "sarcopenia" will not only reduce the body's immune function and increase the risk of infection, but also increase the risk of osteoporosis, falls, fractures, disability and even premature death, which will greatly increase the nursing and medical costs invested by families and even society, and have a negative impact on the economic development of society.

Saving money is not as good as saving muscle . Exercise your legs early to save "muscle mass" and save "health capital" for your old age. After the age of 35, human muscle will be lost at a rate of about 1% per year, and the loss will intensify after the age of 70. About 30% of people over 60 will be affected by sarcopenia. By the age of 80, the total muscle loss can reach 50%, making falls more likely. During the entire process of muscle loss, the number and strength of lower limb muscles decrease more significantly than those of the upper limbs, leading to the phenomenon of "legs age first when people get old."

How to identify sarcopenia? Three methods to self-check leg muscle mass

1. Pace Test

How to operate: Walk 6 meters in your normal walking state.

Result explanation: If the time required exceeds 6 seconds, the gait is slow, indicating insufficient leg muscle mass.

2. Measure the calf circumference

How to operate: Sit down with your calves exposed.

The circumference measured by wrapping the tape measure around the thickest part of the calf is the calf circumference.

Results explain: Male calf circumference <34 cm, female calf circumference <33 cm, indicating insufficient leg muscle mass.

3. Standing test

How to do it: Sit on a chair without armrests (feet on the ground, hands crossed in front of the chest, not leaning on the back of the chair), then stand up, and then sit down again, and repeat 5 times.

Result explanation: The time required is greater than 12 seconds, indicating insufficient lower limb muscle strength.

How to exercise for people with sarcopenia? Exercise your legs early to avoid falling when you get old

Muscles are the "engine" of human activities. A reduction in muscle mass will weaken the body's ability to balance and increase the risk of falls and fractures. In adulthood, on the basis of changing unhealthy behaviors such as partial eating and drinking, exercising leg muscles as early as possible will help maintain the overall function of muscles and delay aging.

0 1 Resistance exercise, the "pause button" for muscle loss

Resistance exercise refers to a type of exercise in which the human body mobilizes skeletal muscle contraction to counteract external resistance. It can prevent a rapid decline in muscle strength and is a key core exercise for slowing muscle loss.

1. Exercise form

Including squatting, sitting leg stretching, etc., you need to pay attention to the following movement points.

Squat: Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart; bend your hips and knees and sit down; stand up slowly; lower your hands and return your body to an upright position.

Seated leg stretch: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, curl your toes on one foot, and lift it naturally up; straighten your knees forward and downward and stretch your legs.

2. Exercise time

Each resistance exercise lasts 30 to 60 minutes. It is recommended to perform resistance exercise 2 to 3 times a week, with a 48-hour interval between two exercises.

3. Exercise intensity

Start with low intensity (30%~39% HRR), repeat each movement 8~10 times as a set, do 1~2 sets each time, and rest for 1~2 minutes between sets. After that, gradually increase the number of repetitions and increase the exercise load with dumbbells and sandbags to reach medium to high intensity (40%~89% HRR).

0 2 Aerobic exercise, the "best partner" of resistance exercise

Aerobic exercise can improve cardiopulmonary function, exercise endurance, and enhance the body's adaptability to resistance exercise, forming a virtuous cycle of exercise. Combining resistance exercise with aerobic exercise can help slow down muscle loss.

1. Exercise form

Including jogging, swimming, cycling, Tai Chi, Ba Duan Jin and other aerobic exercises that suit you.

2. Exercise time

Do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 5 days a week; or at least 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 3 days a week; or a combination of both.

3. Exercise intensity

For people who do not exercise much on a regular basis, they should start with low intensity and gradually reach moderate intensity. For people who have regular exercise habits and are in good physical fitness, they should start with medium to high intensity and maintain it.

How can people with sarcopenia exercise safely? Take it step by step and persevere

Safety is the primary principle of exercise, including the safety of the exercise environment, the safety of exercise attire, and the safety of exercise behavior. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes when exercising, and pay attention to regulating your breathing during exercise. If you feel dizzy, chest tightness, palpitations, or difficulty breathing, you should stop exercising immediately. Exercise should be gradual, and you need to scientifically and gradually increase the exercise time and intensity. Exercise should be persistent. Finally , you need to keep the following precautions in mind:

1. Before exercise, walk slowly for 3 to 5 minutes to warm up.

2. When exercising, maintain natural breathing and do not hold your breath to avoid hypoxia or excessive fluctuations in blood pressure.

3. During exercise, if you experience difficulty breathing, pale complexion, or other discomfort, stop and rest immediately. If the symptoms cannot be relieved after rest, you need to see a doctor to solve the problem.

4. After exercise, walk slowly for 2 minutes and stretch to relax your muscles.

Money can’t buy you meat in old age, so saving money is better than saving muscle. Muscle means strength and symbolizes stronger vitality! Each of us should "save muscle to protect health" from now on , adhere to scientific dietary nutrition, professional exercise training, and effectively improve muscle quality, strength and body function.

【References】

[1] Yasuda T. Selected methods of resistance training for prevention and treatment of sarcopenia[J]. Cells, 2022, 11(9): 1389.

[2] Cui Hua, Wang Zhaohui, Wu Jianqing, et al., Chinese expert consensus on prevention and control of sarcopenia in the elderly (2023)]. Chinese Journal of Geriatrics, 2023, 42(2): 144-153. D0l: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-9026.2023.02.002.

[3] Consensus of Chinese experts on exercise prescription (2023)01. Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023, 42(01):3-13.-D01:10.16038/i.1000-6710.2023.01.012.

[4] Liu Juan, Ding Qingqing, Zhou Baiyu, et al. Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in the elderly in China (2021)[J]. Chinese Journal of Geriatrics, 2021, 40(80): 943-952.

[5] Yu Pulin, Gao Chao, Zhou Baiyu, et al. Chinese expert consensus on core information for preventing sarcopenia in the elderly (2021)[J]. Chinese Journal of Geriatrics, 2021, 40(8):953-954.

Author: Gao Caiping and Wu Yunfeng

Unit: Shanghai Tongji University Affiliated Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center)

Chief Judge: Zhai Hua (Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Vice Chairman of the Science Popularization Working Committee of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine Association)

Editor: Jia Jing (Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)