New research shows that even if you’ve never exercised before, you have the same ability as a world-class athlete to build muscle. Experts warn, however, that a newcomer to the sport should start slowly to avoid injury. Also, even small amounts of exercise can make a big difference to your health.
A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology concluded that: Even if you do not exercise regularly and are older, your body has the same ability to build muscle mass.
Fitness later in life
A group from the University of Birmingham, UK, compared men’s ability to build muscle mass. They looked at two groups: People over 60 who exercised at least twice a week for at least 20 years, and those who had no regular exercise routine. Participants received a muscle biopsy 48 hours before taking isotopic tracer and weight training, then another biopsy after completion. The drink allows researchers to see how protein builds up in the muscle.
Both groups have the same ability to build muscle in response to exercise.
This study clearly shows that it doesn’t matter if you don’t exercise regularly throughout your life. You can always benefit from exercise once you start. Clearly, a long-term commitment to good health and physical activity is the best way to achieve overall health, but even starting later in life, one can delay the infirmities of age and physical infirmity. Although they are in excellent physical shape, the bodies of high-intensity athletes accumulate protein at the same rate as untrained people when it comes to the specific exercise used.
In physical education, young subjects have a greater advantage in muscle building than older subjects. But regardless of age, progressive overload is key to avoiding plateaus. This means that you must use complete stimulation (or exercise stress) and constant variation to consistently build, not just maintain, muscle.
How training and muscle building works
When a stimulus is applied to the body, it adapts to the degree of stress. Actin and myosin are the two main proteins in muscles that are responsible for muscle contraction. They take more training, which makes it possible to produce more proteins and strengthen muscles. The muscle building process begins the second you ask your muscles to do something difficult and unusual, whether it’s lifting a barbell, doing push-ups, or sprinting on a treadmill.
Stress from exercise damages muscle cells, or fibers. As the body repairs them, they become larger than before, which helps build muscle.
In short, the level of experience of the person doing the exercise is not important, as long as the resistance or exercise is challenging. If a muscle is challenged, it will change. During the first few weeks of a new training program, most strength gains are not the result of muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy. Rather, they are the result of the body’s nervous system learning when and how to recruit the appropriate muscle cells. For example, the first time you do a bench press, your arms are not fully in sync and the weights may swing slightly from side to side. But by the time you do the second or third set of the same exercise, the exercise becomes more fluid. Your nervous system is at work.
Start an exercise routine
Where do beginners who want to study often start?
Find your starting point and progress slowly and systematically, adding a little stress at a time over several months. People new to exercise may be unsure of what to do to get a good workout, or may try to do too much at first. That’s why seeing a doctor, working with a trainer, or both, can be very beneficial.
Many adults simply don’t know where to start with strength training or exercise in general. They know that it is good for them, but they are afraid of harming themselves, especially if they have an existing condition – which is common in the elderly, such as high blood pressure, back pain or a prosthetic joint.
Keep in mind the differences that occur when a 40 year old starts regular exercise instead of someone in their 60s or 70s. A 40-year-old will be able to start at a higher intensity or do more cardio because the maximum heart rate decreases with age. A young person will have fewer health issues to deal with than someone who starts exercising at age 60 or 70. That said, anyone can start exercising properly at any age. We can all benefit from exercise. Exercises can be modified to suit each person, making them possible for everyone.
It is very important to emphasize the mental benefits of exercise, especially for older adults where depression is common.
Keep it simple. Many people are discouraged, they don’t know what to do or they don’t have time, so they don’t do anything at all. They don’t have to spend an hour in the gym, do a lot of complicated exercises, or buy complicated fitness trackers. Consistency is the most important thing in creating a practice culture. Once you get into the habit of incorporating exercise into your day, you can adjust the amount of time, intensity, and type of exercise accordingly.
The key is to start slowly
There is also no need to go to the gym or do hours-long exercises. Minute by minute. Studies have shown that 10-minute exercise sessions have the same beneficial effects as a continuous 30-minute session. It is absolutely not too late to start. People who start exercising later in life can’t believe how much better they look and feel. Especially when the chronic pain they’ve had for years goes away. Exercise is medicine.
