Building and maintaining muscle mass is one of the best things you can do for your body as you age.<\/p>\n
There are several glaring signs you may be losing muscle mass as you age. You might find yourself walking slower, feeling unbalanced, or having difficulty getting out of a chair or climbing stairs. Opening jars may become more challenging, and carrying shopping bags can feel like a true struggle. All of these instances are your body\u2019s way of telling you it\u2019s time to focus on rebuilding muscle strength. Doing so can help you perform everyday activities with ease.<\/p>\n
To get you on the right track, below are four daily exercises that can help you build and maintain muscle<\/a> after 65.<\/p>\n \u201cThese exercises are practical for daily use specifically because they avoid the eccentric component that traditional weight training relies on to build strength. Eccentric loading, the lengthening phase of a lift, is largely responsible for the muscle damage and soreness that require 48 to 72 hours of recovery before training the same muscle group again. Without that component, exercises like these can be performed more frequently because they don\u2019t create the same recovery demand,\u201d explains Matt Kasee<\/a>, MS, CSCS, founder of Trilogy Fitness System<\/a>.<\/p>\n That said, these daily moves aren\u2019t necessarily \u201cworking faster\u201d than classic weight training. Muscle is built via progressive overload, and according to Kasee, eccentric loading is essential in that process.<\/p>\n \u201cDaily exercises like these are best understood as a way to stay consistent and keep muscles engaged between or alongside real strength-training sessions, not a substitute for the adaptation that comes from progressively harder resistance work,\u201d Kasee stresses.<\/p>\n \tBand Pull-Aparts<\/p>\n Begin by standing tall.
\nHold the resistance band ahead of you with arms fully extended at shoulder height.
\nPull the band apart, stretching your arms laterally while keeping them fully straight.
\nUse control to return to the start position.<\/p>\n