Building Muscle After 40 | Muscle Growth | Ensure®

Use it or lose it. You’ve probably heard this expression a million times, but have you ever heard it used to actually describe what can happen if you don’t exercise your muscles over time? “In fact, studies show that it can take only a few days of lying in bed to lose muscle mass and strength.”

Top 6 Reasons Why Maintaining Muscle Strength Matters

When you make your muscles work, they respond by growing stronger. And strong, healthy muscles can help you to:

• Maintain your independence
• Help perform everyday tasks like lift groceries or reach-up into higher cupboards
• Improve balance, coordination and mobility
• Reduce your risk of falling
• Gain strength and energy
• Help keep your joints in good shape

So, what can be done? What can you do? Give it the old one-two punch!

1. Get the right nutrition

• Aim to eat an adequate amount of protein each day. Adults need .8 – 1.2 grams of protein/kg body weight per day or more. This would translate into 55-82 grams of protein per day for a 150lb (68kg) adult.
• Nosh on high-quality protein like yogurt, lean meats, fish, edamame, tofu
• Eat your Omega-3 fats including salmon, walnuts, eggs, flaxseed
• Get plenty of Vitamin D
• Add Ensure® Enlive® with 20g protein & HMB, twice a day, to help rebuild muscle

2. Strength exercises

Seated leg lifts, arm raises, bicep curls—simple repetitive movements, with or without weights, if done regularly, not only help to build up bone and muscles but can help counteract the weakness that comes with age. Here are seven fun ideas to help flex your muscles:

Here are six fun ideas to flex your muscles:

• Walk the mall with your friends
• Take the stairs instead of the escalator
• Enroll in a yoga, dance or pottery class
• Try water aerobics
• Use low-weight ankle weights
• Buy yourself new work out gear for inspiration

• Baier S, et al. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr.2009;33(1):71-82.
• Flakoll P, et al. 2004;20(5):445-451.
• Grimby G, et al. Acta Physiol Scand.1982;115(1):125-134.
• Janssen I, et al. J Appl Physiol.2000;89(1):81-88.