Today’s post addresses my parents generation, the Baby Boomers. In about a year the Baby Boomers will begin turning 65 years of age and this is a peak age when our lean body mass starts to deplete. What does this mean? Our moms and pops need to pump some iron and drink some protein shakes! Sounds comical but true in a sense.
I compare their need to fuel properly the same way I fuel myself in my mid-20s as I train for an upcoming race. I need to eat right to make sure I am providing the right nutrition for my body to maintain lean body mass and so I can prevent injuries and even sick days. Also, for clarification, lean body mass is more than muscle. It includes all tissues in our body’s minus fat. Furthermore, maintaining lean body mass is so important because there are many negative implications that can occur if it is lost. The impacted circumstances go beyond frail bones/broken hips and research is diving deep into this topic.
Today, the New York Times wrote a fabulous article on the issue, which they termed the loss of lean body mass as sarcopenia. I highly recommend reading it. If you choose to or not, I encourage you start caring for your parents (and yourselves) before they start losing lean body mass. This can be observed by seeing a loss in strength, an inability to open a pickle jar, and/or walking a slower pace. Taking preventive action can be a very cost-saving benefit and two habits you can start doing today and encourage your parents to so is exercise weekly (and definitely include weights) and eat the right diet. Make sure your parents are eating high quality proteins (meat, eggs, and more), eating produce and taking supplements where needed.
Cheers to you and good health! Have a healthy and fit day!