Reaching 40 can be a game changer for us and our bodies. Sometime between 30 - 40 (it’s different for everyone) the body will actually stop maintaining muscle mass on a full-time basis. This means somebody who doesn’t lead an active lifestyle or works out regularly will start to lose 3% -5% of muscle per decade.
But there is some good news, you do have the ability to stop this and even reverse the loss. By doing light weight training you can keep your body in shape, and stronger muscles equals a better stronger functioning body.
Smoking though is a huge disadvantage to this, and makes keeping or gaining muscle much harder than it should be.
HEALTH BENEFITS TO YOUR BODY OF MAINTAINING MUSCLE
For many people weight training is the first thing to go, as they don’t see the point anymore. After we don’t need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or as toned as a model anymore! But weight training isn’t all about lifting the heaviest item you can, it’s also about toning and making sure your body is working as it should.
The more we look after our muscles the better benefits this has on our joints and out bodies in general.
Well defined muscles will help support your joints and strengthen your ligaments, this is especially true for your spine, knees, hips and ankles. If your back is painful after sitting around for a while, or your ankles ache when you go up the stairs too often then weight training can be useful.
This is the case for our bones as well. Studies have shown when older men and women partake in strength training and high impact exercises their bone density strength and size increase and most importantly reduces bone loss. This can stop issues in the future and make a huge impact on your current lifestyle.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR MUSCLES HEALTHY AFTER 40
If you are a smoker and want to maintain or add muscle, then one of the best things to do for your muscles (and your health in general) would be to quit smoking cigarettes.
Smoking limits a person’s ability to exercise as it makes the muscles weaker. Cigarette smoke directly damages muscles by reducing the number of blood vessels in leg muscles, which reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients they receive.
Not only that but smoking leads to damaged lungs, so your body gets even less oxygen anyway. Add that to your body not being able to get the oxygen to the muscles due to the damage and you have a terrible combination.
This all means that not only is smoking making you weaker, but it is actively stopping new muscle growth. Muscles can’t re-grow or heal themselves if they aren’t getting the oxygen or nutrients they need.
Yet another aspect of smoking that can slow down your attempt to get healthy is cigarettes negative effect on activity levels. Without the oxygen and nutrients needed you will feel more sluggish, and your muscles will start to ache, and cramp earlier then then normally would.
Smoking can also impact your immune system which can result into many chronic diseases including diabetes and COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which is terrible on its own but can also have a huge effect on your fitness.
But if you are not a smoker (or have made the switch to e-cigarettes already) you still need to think about what you are putting into your body.
To do that we need to make sure that the right nutrients are provided in our everyday diet.
The three main nutrients you need to focus on for maintaining muscle and for growth are:
Proteins - Meat, Eggs, Almonds, Milk, Tuna, Quinoa
Healthy Fats - Avocados, Walnuts, Peanut butter, Olives, Salmon
Carbohydrates - Vegetables, Brown Rice, Lentils, Sweet Potatoes
This isn't a full list, but you get the idea of what kind of food you need to include into your diet to make the most out of your new workout.
If you don’t give your body the right type of nutrients that support and maintain muscle growth, then your results will suffer. This can be crucial, after all you don’t want all that work you do to go down the drain!
Lastly, make sure you are getting enough water. Our bodies are made up of 70% of water, and by working our muscles we will be using a lot of that water. If you let yourself get dehydrated, then it can cause your muscles to fatigue faster and you might not have the same stamina that you normally would have. It will also slow down your muscle re-growth, meaning you will be achy and out of action for longer than usual.
WHAT WEIGHT TRAINING TO DO
Now you have made the decision to get fitter and build some muscle, the next minefield is figure out what you need to do. It can be hard for people just starting to figure out what to start with, and even to know what is actually classed as weight training and how often we should be doing it.
The good news is that you don’t have to stop reading this and go and sign up to your local gym straight away. Many people that are starting out can start training by using your own body weight and in the comfort of your own home.
Weight training basically comes down to two different things:
Movement of any weight against resistance (including your body weight) - doing any exercise that pushes your muscles out of their comfort zones, forcing them to rebuild stronger and prepare for the next challenge.
Progressive overload - Doing slightly more than last time (lift heavier or do one more repetition than last time) constantly. Your muscles will have to constantly have to adapt and rebuild themselves stronger.
This is a beginner body weight work out:
20x bodyweight squats - Will work lower body
10x pushups - Will work shoulders and chest
10x walking lunges - Will work thighs and bum
15x second plank - Will work shoulder and your stomach
30x jumping jacks - will work legs
These are all things we can at least attempt to do in our houses, and don’t require any equipment or a membership to the gym. Once you are comfortable with these exercises you can start increasing the number of reps (repetition) you do or add an extra weight.
E-CIGARETTES AND WEIGHT TRAINING
If you have read this far and are a smoker then it might seem impossible to get the same results as those who never touched a cigarette. Even if you put in the same effort as a non-smoker the cigarettes will hold you back, and quitting is rarely easy.
The good news is that there is a way to get the nicotine your body craves, and even the flavour and feel of a cigarette, without the downsides. And that way is e-cigarettes.
As e-cigarettes give the same feel, taste and nicotine of a cigarette, but without the 4000+ chemicals and 50+ carcinogens that are found in tobacco. That’s why they were classed as “at least 95% less harmful than cigarettes” by Public Health England.
By making the switch you are going to a much less harmful alternative, and one that won’t hold you back when you try and exercise. As the chemicals that damage your muscles and arteries don’t exist in e-cigarettes you can work out knowing that your body isn’t being stopped by cigarette smoke.
To make the switch today and not only start your workout properly but your non-smoking journey here are some amazing Vape and E-Cigarette Starter kit deals!
