"Muscle mass really is the key to longevity," says Northeastern professor Elaina Manolis. Share this story - Copy Link Link Copied! Building and maintaining muscle strength is one of the most important factors to living a long and Titan Rise Male Enhancement healthy life, according to Northeastern University experts. "Muscle mass really is the key to longevity. It really is our insurance policy for how long we want to stay functional," says Elaina Manolis, assistant clinical professor of physical therapy, human movement and rehabilitation sciences at Northeastern University. Muscles not only move our bodies. They store glucose that can be used for energy and movement, Manolis says, rather than being stored as fat. Exercising our muscles helps regulate blood sugar, which is especially important for those with insulin sensitivity. However, our muscle mass typically peaks around age 30 and decreases by 3% to 8% per decade afterward. A sedentary lifestyle especially depletes our muscle mass, Manolis says. Rebuilding lost muscle takes significantly more time than losing it.

The good news is that it’s never too late to start building your muscle mass, Titan Rise Male Enhancement according to Carmen Castañeda Sceppa, professor of health sciences and dean of Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern. "Muscle is very plastic and responsive to exercise," she says. "It’s a very forgiving tissue. While strength training is crucial, optimal health requires a well-rounded routine, Manolis says, including resistance training, cardio exercise and flexibility. Resistance training strengthens bones, Manolis says, as they respond to stress and the pull of the muscles by putting down more tissue layers and reinforcing bone structure. Weight-bearing exercises like walking, running, jumping and push-ups contribute to bone density. Related: Can exercise fight cancer? Strong muscles also protect joints from excessive load. When muscles fail to properly support the body, Manolis says, joints degenerate faster, leading to knee or hip replacements. Regular cyclical or elliptical movements help keep joints lubricated and healthy.

How to start depends on your general health and your age. Building muscles requires safely and progressively overloading your body, Manolis says, with external resistance. Body weight exercises or yoga alone won’t be enough because our bodies are already accustomed to carrying that weight. "Doing yoga is great, but you’re not going to necessarily build strength and power because you don’t have that external resistance," Manolis says. That is why the terms "strength training" and "resistance training" are used interchangeably. Any tools that add resistance can be used for strength training: dumbbells, kettlebells or resistance bands. Beginners should start with two days of training per week, which is enough to maintain muscle mass. Building additional muscle requires four to five days of strength training, which could be split between upper and lower body days. A good tool for beginners to establish a routine is resistance bands. "You can adjust the tension by simply changing your position or how much you’re pulling on them," Manolis says.

Eventually, you’ll need to progress to heavier weights - around 30 to 50 pounds for deadlifts. Transparency vs. victim safety? Heat index vs. wet bulb globe temperature: What’s better for heat wave safety? EU and US sign major trade deal. Why has it annoyed European leaders? "You have to lift heavy for your body to respond," Manolis says. "We totally underestimate our ability. In general, resistance exercises should prepare muscles for functional movements such as push, pull, lift and squat. For specific exercises, consider consulting a physical therapist who can recommend strength training programs tailored to everyday life. Those interested in competitive powerlifting should work with a specialized personal trainer. Age-related changes in muscle mass, Sceppa says, can get exacerbated by chronic conditions such as arthritis, autoimmune conditions, heart disease and diabetes. Sceppa studied resistance exercise in people with diabetes who had significant muscle mass loss. She found that strength exercise not only reversed muscle loss but also improved blood sugar levels better than diabetes medications alone.