Getting older comes with plenty of health concerns and things we need to be aware of. But how conscious are we about our muscles as we age? Is it a big deal if we lose some muscle mass?
This week I’m joined by Brendan Egan, Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Physiology at Dublin City University to talk about why looking after our muscles as we get older is so important.
Brendan says when thinking about aging, we need to be thinking about living better, as well as living longer. Part of doing that is making sure you don’t lose a significant amount of muscle mass.
“From a muscle centric point of view, if we can maintain physical function or physical independence later on in life, those extended years that we now get will ultimately be in better health.”
“The idea that you can match your health span closer to your lifespan, that’s kind of the Holy Grail when it comes to healthy aging.”
There is no doubt that resistance training is becoming more and more popular. While it's great that people are embracing new ways of exercising, it can be intimidating for complete beginners to start using weights in a workout. Brendan suggests starting without weights can be a great way to introduce yourself to workouts that you haven’t tried before.
“In the case of the types of beginners exercises that we are talking about, even starting off with bodyweight exercises can produce a huge amount of benefit early on.”
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The Real Health podcast is in association with Laya Healthcare.

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