Being proactive when it comes to your fitness and lifestyle is the key to feeling your best as you age. However, overtime your body goes through a lot of changes, many of which are out of our control. You may notice changes in muscle composition, especially a loss of muscle, as you get older. With that being said, there are many ways to keep your muscle tone as you age. Because your body changes over time, you should make changes to your exercise routine accordingly. We asked Ronnie Lubischer, CSCS, owner of Lubischer’s Burn and Blast Training in West Long Branch, NJ, what tweaks you should make to your exercise routine for better muscle tone as you age.
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“The main reason you lose muscle mass and/or tone as you age is usually a combination of hormonal responses that we have very little control over. Basically as we age, the normal growth signals our bodies have worked with all our lives begin to slow up and this tips the scale from anabolism and muscle growth to catabolism and muscle waste,” Lubischer explains, “In the simplest explanation, your body normally keeps signals for growth and teardown in balance. As you age, your body becomes resistant to growth signals, resulting in muscle loss.”
This doesn’t mean you should give up! Knowledge is power, so keeping in mind how your body is changing is essential for caring for it properly. It is important to note here that you don’t have to automatically rule out any forms of exercise just because of age, especially if you enjoy that form of exercise. If it makes you feel good and your medical provider gives their seal of approval, you don’t need to quit your regular routine solely because you’re getting older.
However, the one change that Lubischer recommends, especially for preserving muscle tone, is making sure that you properly structure your workout routine. “For example, whatever rep ranges kept your body toned throughout your youth (up to around 35), you should be increasing those reps every 5 years or so to keep up with the signal losses aforementioned,” he explains, “So if you could get by and stay toned with 12 reps per exercise through your thirties, in your forties it’d be advantageous to start doing 15 rep sets, in your fifties 20 reps. This is particular to the individual and has a lot to do with training experience, but you have to make up for the signaling losses through your movements.”
Following some kind of strength training regimen is crucial for building up your muscles, no matter your age. As you age, because you’re working against muscle loss due to hormonal changes, it’s important to make sure the amount you’re doing matches up with that loss. Gradually increasing the amount of reps of exercises you do is one big change that will make up for a decrease in muscle tone due to age. First and foremost, you should find the types of exercise that you enjoy, that give you energy, and that you can do consistently. Regular physical movement is a great way to boost your energy and feel better in the long term, regardless of the type.
