These simple morning moves can help rebuild and preserve muscle.<\/p>\n
Kickstarting your morning with a healthy dose of movement sets you up for all-day success. After you hit 60, the best morning exercises<\/a> for restoring and maintaining muscle are simple moves that focus on functional strength<\/a>\u2014not just machine-based training or stretching, says Justin Kraft, NASM-CPT<\/a>, Performance Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist, and the founder of Aspire2MoreFitness.com, where he helps individuals build strength<\/a>, mobility, and muscle through smart and sustainable training. To help you get started, we\u2019ve rounded up five exercises that can help rebuild muscle<\/a> quicker than gym sessions.<\/p>\n Sarcopenia\u2014the natural loss of muscle\u2014occurs earlier than you might think, in your 30s, with roughly 3% to 8% of muscle lost each decade. The process only accelerates after 60.<\/p>\n \u201cThe drivers are anabolic resistance, which just means your muscles respond less efficiently to the protein you eat, plus hormonal shifts in testosterone for men and estrogen for women, plus less spontaneous daily activity, plus a quiet loss of the fast-twitch muscle fibers that decline the fastest. And the hidden danger underneath all of that is power loss, which drops even faster than mass and is the single biggest predictor of falls and hospitalizations and loss of independence,\u201d says Jacob Siwicki, founder and head coach of Siwicki Fitness<\/a>, NCSF and AFAA certified, former top 1% globally ranked Equinox group fitness instructor (2019), Dartmouth economics graduate and former Dartmouth football player, fitness expert on FOX 5 DC, ranked #1 personal trainer in D.C. in 2021.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n The good news? Strength training can address all of this at any age. Here are five morning moves to prioritize, according to the experts.<\/p>\n \tSit-to-Stands<\/p>\n \u201cI recommend these as my number one because they build strength in the quads, glutes, and core through a movement people need every day,\u201d says Kraft. \u201cBeing able to stand up from a chair with control is one of the clearest signs of functional lower-body strength. It sounds easy to do but as we age, doing this is vital to maintaining functional movement.\u201d<\/p>\n Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair, feet under your knees.
\nLean forward just a bit.
\nTry to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
\nUse control to slowly sit back down.<\/p>\n