When you reach the age of 40, the age of not being easily tempted, you begin to realize that while your mind becomes stronger, your body starts to weaken differently than before. To spend the remaining decades of your life more healthily, you should focus on 'muscle' training. In particular, lower body exercises are important.

 

Muscle mass noticeably decreases after the age of 40. By the time individuals reach their 50s, it begins to decline by about 1% each year, and by their 80s, they can lose up to 60% of their total muscle mass compared to their 40s. Moreover, as people age, even strength training becomes less effective at building muscle. When muscle mass decreases, the muscles between bones and joints become thinner, causing external forces such as load to be directly transmitted to the bones and joints, increasing the burden. A reduction in muscles involved in overall vital activities also raises the risk of metabolic diseases. Muscles consume 20 kcal per kilogram, so when muscle mass decreases, unused energy sources like fat and carbohydrates remain in the body. These substances can circulate in the blood vessels, potentially leading to metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular diseases. In fact, domestic studies show that sarcopenia increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 3.6 times, diabetes by 3 times, and hypertension by 2 times.

You should focus on exercises that strengthen the lower body muscles. Professor Lee Byung-hoon of the Department of Orthopedics at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "The majority of muscles are concentrated in the lower limbs," and recommended that middle-aged and older adults mainly perform lower body strength exercises such as stair climbing and wall squats. For wall squats, face the wall, step one foot forward, lean your head to your pelvis against the wall, and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Holding this position for about 10 seconds can also help strengthen the lower body muscles. It is advisable to perform strength training at least twice a week. Combining aerobic exercises, which are effective for reducing body fat, can help prevent metabolic diseases. Aerobic exercise should be performed at a moderate intensity for about 150 minutes per week.

 

Specifically, the timing when exercise becomes important varies slightly depending on gender. Men must exercise as soon as they reach their forties. Professor Lee Byung-hoon said, "Men start losing muscle faster than women from age 40, leading to physical changes such as thinning legs, while women’s estrogen somewhat slows down muscle loss," and added, "Strength training can help slow down the rate of muscle loss."

 

From the late 40s onwards, when women enter menopause, the importance of muscle exercise increases. Of course, the sooner muscle exercise is started, the better, because muscles develop more easily when younger. However, if the appropriate time for muscle exercise has been missed, it is essential to start exercising from menopause. Not only can it reduce the loss of muscle mass, but it can also effectively alleviate menopausal symptoms. According to a study by a research team at Linköping University in Sweden, menopausal women who engaged in strength training experienced about a 50% reduction in menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.

 

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In the age of forty, the age of forty

The muscles are noticeably shrinking.

 

Regaining muscle that has once decreased

It's tough, isn't it?

 

They say my legs are getting thinner and I feel very weak.

You need to do strength training on time.