The importance of muscle mass on healthy aging

Did you know that higher levels of muscle mass are linked to a longer life? In a nutshell, muscle mass refers to the total amount of muscle in the body. It’s often used as an indicator of health. The good news is it’s never too late to start building strength.

Jonathan Roth, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Atlantic Health System, shares tips for building and maintaining muscle, which can help preserve your mobility, boost your bone health and promote healthy aging.

“Healthy muscle mass is essential to completing daily living activities and preventing injuries,” he says. “Everyone, at any age, can benefit from strength training. Even seniors with low muscle mass will benefit from exercises to rebuild their muscle strength.”

Muscle mass across the lifespan

A 2023 study showed that low muscle mass was associated with higher mortality risk of all causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease. In addition to mobility, overall strength and fall prevention, muscle mass is linked to bone health. Dr. Roth explains that when you increase your muscle mass, you also boost your bone density, which can help prevent fractures and other injuries.

Because muscle burns more calories than fat, it can also help with weight management, boost your metabolism and help control your glucose levels. And, when you build up your muscle mass, you improve your cardiovascular fitness. 

Not to mention muscles provide protein storage in your body, which can help you recover from injuries and illness.

Tips for building and maintaining muscle mass

Dr. Roth says that everyone should work on building and maintaining their muscle mass. This is especially true if you stumble, trip, fall frequently or have trouble with any of the following tasks:

• Standing up from a chair without pushing off with your hands
• Climbing a flight of stairs
• Getting up off the ground without assistance

Any form of exercise can help you maintain and even build muscle mass. Resistance and weight training are the general recommendations for building muscle, but even walking for exercise can help, says Dr. Roth. In addition, he adds, “Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilograms of body weight a day is great for building and maintaining muscle.”

The key to building muscle mass is finding a resistance training exercise program and following it consistently. Dr. Roth says just two to three strength training sessions for 20 to 30 minutes a week can build muscle without causing overexertion. 

If you’re new to exercise, however, make sure you start slowly with very light weight or resistance. It may be helpful to work with a personal trainer who specializes in your age group and experience level. If you’ve been diagnosed with balance or gait issues, low bone density or an injury, a physical therapist can help you develop a recovery and training program to prevent further injury and rebuild your muscle mass.

“The key to building muscle mass at any age is consistency,” says Dr. Roth. “As we get older, we’re more prone to injury, and we quickly lose any gains if we take a break from exercise. It may take a while to see progress, but just slowing down muscle loss is important.”