Fitness Tips
Reporter Tucker Covey presented on News 40 about a rarely discussed women’s health topic. Women in the United States according to a report are below health levels of muscle mass. This has serious health implications when women age. To anyone who has read on the subject, the information is not new. The media and other healthcare professionals are slow to catch up. The estimate given is that millions of American women are below the healthy level of muscle mass. The Tucker Covey report consulted a dietitian and a director of a medical center. Sarah Widener is the director of community wellness at the Med Health Center. The director of the Dietitian Office is Sydney Griffin. The gap in the report is that a personal trainer was not consulted. Knowledge of exercise science could be of immense use to medical professionals. The report does help the general public understand the basics of building muscle. Women might be hesitant to build muscle or lift weights for cultural reasons or limited available information. Women are going to have to rid themselves of this sentiment. Building muscle has benefits to women’s health.
Inducing muscular hypertrophy requires certain steps. Lifting weights is the paramount to making gains in muscle mass. Diet is also essential. Women might not be getting enough protein for their bodies. The diet and exercise regimen must be consistent. They are not, nothing will change. A combination of food and physical activity will causes changes in the body. The caloric intake must be adjusted based on metabolism, sex, physical activity level, and individual physiology.
After exercise there should be a recovery period. During this rest, muscles will grow. One error made in the report was that it was stated muscle was the body’s biggest organ. This would be the skin. Building muscle is slightly more challenging for women. Maintaining muscle can also be an obstacle. Tucker Covey states women have less muscle, yet did not provide an explanation. This relates to the amount of androgens in men’s bodies. Seeing as there is a difference in endocrine function women have to be extra conscious of their musculoskeletal health.
Age is a factor in musculoskeletal health. The total amount of muscle mass peaks around ages 30 to 39. From that stage onwards, the reduction of muscle mass is gradual. The chances of developing sarcopenia and osteoporosis increases with age. Building more muscle in youth can act as a shield later in life. However, this does not mean building muscle cannot be done in advanced age.
Seniors can do weightlifting to maintain muscle mass. The biggest objective is not to lose more. This disproportionately effects women. If women tend to live longer, the chances of getting certain diseases increases. Many men just might reach an age to get them. Millions of American women based on the news report have musculoskeletal mass that is too low. What this could mean for those women is loss of mobility and independence in old age. Building muscle can prevent such issues.
When cultural factors are mentioned the reports does not go into detail. The diet culture and obsession with thinness is not healthy. For a long period of time fitness and exercise culture maintained an anti-woman bias. Lifting weights and building muscle was for men. Women just needed to diet and reduce body mass. The problem was this was setting up girls and women for eating disorders. Cases of anorexia and bulimia have been linked to diet culture. Body image concerns have caused some women mental health problems. Women who do not have these conditions may think they are healthy. A woman could be thin, but does not have the adequate amount of muscle mass for her body. The notion that thin equals healthy does not have a basis in health science. Carrying too much fat can harm health, but being underweight can do the same. Attitudes about women and exercise will have to change.
Diet must be given special attention. Salads and vegetables can should be consumed. The problem is that women are according to the report not getting enough protein. A balanced diet is critical to health. The correct amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates must be consumed. The problem is the overconsumption of too much sugar and saturated fat. Combined with lack of exercise, this makes people more vulnerable to possible health decline. Limited protein starves the muscle of the body. Sarah Widener emphasizes that people use muscle on a daily basis. Walking up the stairs or moving objects are just a few examples. She incorrectly states that muscles are the largest organ on the human body. The skin is the largest organ, but muscles are still important. Switching between fad diets or inconsistent exercise regimens will not improve health. Women’s diet culture has not been a positive force. The persistent myth is that women need to eat less and reduce protein. Some fear that eating more protein will cause muscle growth. Sydney Griffin explains eating protein will not cause muscular hypertrophy. A longtime weight training regimen would have to be done to make that possible.
Building muscle is not only for men. Women should get more involved as a means to protect their health. Women are more likely to reach advanced age. This means health and mobility will be effected by senescence. Those 70 and over could experience a loss of independence. With the healthcare system is a poor condition and limited access to caregivers adjustments have to be made. No one wants to be in a nursing home or an assisted living. The good news it is never too late to start exercise. While it is ideal to build the most muscle in youth, older adults can still see benefits from weight training. A woman in her sixties can start lifting as a means of health maintenance and prevention. Diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia are concerns that come with age. Women building muscle can challenge the diet fad culture that presents itself as a model of health. Thin does not equal a body free of disease. A woman does not need to train like a Ms. Olympia champion to see results. A frequent exercise routine and proper nutrition can improve women’s health.