As men age, lower body health becomes more important for their overall health.

Lower body muscles play a vital role in preventing disease and enjoying a high quality of life.

As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, making it difficult to maintain lower body strength without dedicated exercise. While this varies depending on lifestyle factors, older adults typically lose about 10% of their muscle mass each year. Decreased lower body muscle mass can lead to falls and serious injuries, even from minor impacts. Let's explore the importance of lower body muscle, especially for older men, and how to build it.

 

The thigh muscles store and metabolize the most sugar among all the muscles in our bodies. Older people need to develop this area to maintain strength for longer periods of time, even with the same amount of nutrients consumed. Developing lower body muscles increases the number of capillaries surrounding them, improving blood circulation. Good circulation also helps blood flow to the testicles and adrenal glands, which in turn promotes the secretion of the male hormone testosterone. This is why men should prioritize lower body muscle more than women.

Lower body muscle mass is also linked to health issues. Without lower body muscle, blood that should be in the thigh area diverts upward, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

 

Older adults can see significant benefits simply by strengthening the psoas major, adductors, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Strengthening these muscles not only offers health benefits like improved blood circulation and metabolism, but also enhances the functions of each muscle group.

The psoas major is a muscle that connects the lumbar spine (lower back) to the femur (thigh bone), and it functions to lift and lower the leg. If you find it difficult to climb stairs as you age, it's often due to a weakened psoas major. Strengthening the psoas major will make basic activities like walking and climbing stairs easier. To strengthen the psoas major, lie down with one knee bent and slowly raise and lower the opposite leg, alternating movements.

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The adductors, which extend from the pelvis to the back of the thigh, help to draw the legs inward. Strengthening these muscles improves balance and helps prevent urinary problems, prostate problems, and hemorrhoids. To strengthen your adductors, lie down with your knees bent, place a pillow between your knees, and lift your hips and pelvis upward, then slowly lower them.

 

The hamstrings are the muscles at the back of the thigh. They stop the movement of the leg and help change speed and direction when walking or running. Developing this area improves agility and reduces the risk of injury when walking downhill. You can strengthen them by lying face down, placing a pillow or ball under your ankles, and lifting and lowering your legs.

 

The quadriceps femoris is a large muscle located at the front of the thigh and directly affects joint health. It's also a common area for rehabilitation exercises for patients with osteoarthritis. Developing the quadriceps femoris reduces the impact on the joints when walking and improves smoother joint movement. A good exercise is to stand against a wall, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, and bend and straighten your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

 

However, you shouldn't blindly start exercising. Since your muscles are stiff, you need to improve flexibility first. It's helpful to increase muscle hydration a month before you begin strength training. Drinking plenty of water and eating a low-salt diet are recommended. Afterward, combine aerobic exercise with lower-body exercises. A 30-minute session is ideal for aerobic exercise. Perform three sets of 30 reps of psoas major exercises daily, and three sets of 20 reps for all other exercises.

 

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After watching the Ugly Duckling program,

Kim Jong Kook to his mother

They made me do a squat at the bathroom door.

 

As you get older, you need to do lower body exercises.