Maintain Muscle As You Age: 5 At-Home Strength Exercises To Keep Your Brain Sharp

Maintaining muscle mass may play a key role in preventing dementia, as aging often leads to pronounced changes such as decreased mobility and loss of strength. Age-related muscle loss is an inevitable event that affects the physical as well as the mental state of humans. New research suggests maintaining skeletal muscle can be key to supporting cognitive functions and may even play a role in preventing dementia.

A study presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting revealed that elderly patients with lower skeletal muscle mass had about a 60 percent higher risk of dementia. Skeletal muscle forms one-third of our body weight and tends to atrophy with age, and that muscle decline has broad-ranging effects, from increased physical frailty to potential cognitive decline, said Dr. Marilyn Albert, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University.

The researchers measured the size of the temporalis muscle, which is part of the jaw region, as a marker of overall skeletal muscle health. Their findings showed a clear link between reduced muscle mass and an elevated risk of dementia. This connection highlights the urgent need to prioritize muscle maintenance, particularly as age-related conditions like sarcopenia and anabolic resistance pose additional challenges.

Why Muscle Maintenance Becomes Harder With Age

This begins around the age of 30. Then, there is a loss of 3-5% muscle mass every decade. But the decline is faster for those aged 50. Contributing factors include sarcopenia, an umbrella syndrome causing progressive loss of muscle and bone mass. And there is anabolic resistance - reduced skeletal muscle synthesis of protein, making it difficult to build and maintain muscle in the presence of exercise.

Despite these challenges, strength training and endurance exercises remain effective strategies to rebuild muscle and enhance overall health.

5 At-Home Strength Exercises to Build and Maintain Muscle

Fortunately, you don't need to join a gym to maintain muscle strength. Here are five simple yet effective exercises into your routine to help preserve muscle mass and support cognitive health.

1. Calf Raises

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lift onto your toes, keeping your core tight. Hold for 1-2 seconds, then lower back down. Repetitions: Perform 15 reps for 2-3 sets.
• Benefits: Improves lower leg strength and balance.

2. Plank

• Lay face-down and position forearms on the ground. Stretch legs back and curl toes under.
• Press your body against the ground, with it straight and core tight.
• Repetitions: 15-20 seconds holds for 2-3 sets.
• Benefits: Strengthens the core, shoulders, and back muscles.

3. Squat Into Chair

• Stand a half step away from a chair.
• Lower into a squat until you nearly touch the chair, extending arms forward.
• Return to standing, bringing arms back in.
• Repetitions: Repeat for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
• Benefits: Strengthens the muscles in the legs as well as helps to better your posture.

4. Elevated Pushups

• Position hands on a wall with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Perform a push-up and lower toward the wall, then return to beginning.
• Repetitions: Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
• Benefits: Stretches chest, arms, and shoulders with minimal strain.

5. Wall Angels

• Stand with your back against a wall, pressing hips, shoulders, and elbows into the wall.
• Push your arms up into a "Y" shape and then back down.
• Repetitions: Do 10-15 reps for 2-3 sets.
• Benefits: Helps to improve shoulder mobility and posture.

Additional Tips for Muscle Maintenance

Safety and effectiveness are guaranteed by following the given tips:

1. Always warmup at the start and cool down at the end to avoid being injured.

2. Maintain proper posture and control during every movement.

3. Progressively increase weights or resistance bands as strength is enhanced.

4. Complete each movement slowly in order to achieve control and to avoid straining.

5. Give your muscles time to recover and rebuild between sessions.