MUSCLE STRENGTH FOR OLDER ADULTS
Did you know?
After the age of 40, your muscle mass decreases by 3-8% every decade.1
While this is just an inevitable part of aging, losing too much muscle mass can negatively impact your lifestyle. From opening a jar to climbing a flight of stairs, your muscle mass is the reason why you’re able to do daily activities and stay physically active. On the other hand, without enough muscle mass, you may become more prone to fall-related injuries and struggle with simple everyday tasks.
So how should you keep your muscles healthy, both now and in your golden years? The answer is protein. By introducing more protein to your everyday diet, it can help to prevent muscle loss in the long run.
How much protein should one consume?
For the average Singaporean adult, aged 18-49, the recommended daily protein intake is approximately 0.8g/kg body weight. That means if you weigh 50kg, you should consume around 40g of protein a day.2
This recommended intake is higher for older adults aged 50 and above. As age catches up to you, you will need a higher daily protein intake of 1.2g/kg body weight.2
If you are a competitive athlete, you may need between 1g and 1.6g of protein per kg body weight to support muscle development and repair.3
Best sources of protein
When getting your daily dose of protein, there is a variety of sources you can choose from. Here are some of the more popular ones.4
As you can see, getting your daily protein is actually quite easy. Especially with NUTRISOY. All you have to do is pour yourself a delicious glass of soya milk. No other preparations needed!
Not all soya milk is the same
While all soya milk tastes similar, NUTRISOY Fresh Soya Milk is high in protein so that you can meet your daily requirement easily. 1 cup of NUTRISOY fulfills at least 1/3 of your recommended protein intake in each meal.
Make NUTRISOY Fresh Soya Milk your source of protein
NUTRISOY Fresh Soya Milk is high in plant protein and is the only vegetable source containing all essential amino acids. Plus, it is low in saturated fat and certified as a healthier choice by the Health Promotion Board.
Test your muscle strength
How long can you stand on one leg? Research shows that those who were not able to stand on one leg for more than 10 seconds were twice as likely to die within 10 years.5
Take the one-leg stand challenge now
Step 1:
Stand straight with your arms crossed over the chest and raise your other foot at a 45˚ angle. If you find this too easy, you can even close your eyes to increase the difficulty of this challenge.
Step 2:
Stay in this position and time yourself. Stop the timer when you uncross your arms or move either of your legs. And remember, take precautions while doing the test to avoid any injury/fall.
Step 3:
Check your score using the chart below.6
Test your muscle strength
How long can you stand on one leg? Research shows that those who were not able to stand on one leg for more than 10 seconds were twice as likely to die within 10 years.5
Take the one-leg stand challenge now
Step 1:
Stand straight with your arms crossed over the chest and raise your other foot at a 45˚ angle. If you find this too easy, you can even close your eyes to increase the difficulty of this challenge.
Step 2:
Stay in this position and time yourself. Stop the timer when you uncross your arms or move either of your legs. And remember, take precautions while doing the test to avoid any injury/fall.
Step 3:
Check your score using the chart below.6
Exercises to promote bone and muscle strength
If you weren’t able to do the one-leg stand challenge, not to worry. Building strength is never too late! Here are 3 exercises that you can do to help promote bone and muscle strength.7 All you need is some hand weights, a chair and an exercise mat.
1. Press up
- Position yourself on all fours with your knees comfortably apart under your hips.
- Place your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders while pointing your fingers forward. Then look at the floor.
- Keep your tummy muscles tight and your back straight.
- Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest until your chin reaches, or is close to the floor, squeezing your shoulder blades back and down.
- Slowly return to starting position, keeping your movements slow and controlled.
- Repeat this 8 – 12 times and complete up to three sets.
2. Lunge
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees soft.
- Keep your upper body straight, your shoulders back and relaxed and look directly ahead.
- Step forward with one leg, placing your leading foot flat on the floor. Lower your hips until both knees are bent towards a 90˚ angle – your back heel will come off the floor.
- Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and not pushed out too far. The other knee should not be touching the floor.
- Keep the weight on your front heel as you push back up to the starting position.
- Repeat 8 – 12 times on each leg and complete up to three sets.
3. Squat
- Stand in front of a chair with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing forward.
- Keep your back in a neutral position and your knees centered over your feet. Then look straight ahead.
- Maintaining your weight on your heels and balls of your feet (not your toes), slowly push your hips and bottom back as though you are preparing to sit on the chair.
- Lower yourself gently, bending your knees, but not actually completing the sit down – just hover above the chair.
- Keep looking forward, not down, and drive through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat 8 – 12 times and complete up to three sets.
- To increase the difficulty of this exercise, you can hold weights in both arms.
Do these exercises 2 to 3 days a week (non-consecutive) and work your way up to carrying out three sets for each routine. Simple exercises like these can go a long way in helping to improve muscle mass and strength. The important thing is to make these actions a habit. Just don’t forget to breathe!
References
1Volpi, E., Nazemi, R., & Fujita, S. (2004). Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 7(4), 405–410.
2HealthHub, Health Promotion Board. (2022). Why Protein Is More Important Than You May Think, And 5 Common Protein Myths.
https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/2074/why_protein_is_important
3HealthHub, Health Promotion Board. (2021). Power Up With Sports Nutrition.
https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/198/power_up_sports_nutrition
4Health Promotion Board Energy & Nutrient Composition of Food Database.
https://focos.hpb.gov.sg/eservices/ENCF/
5Araujo, C. G., et al. (2022). Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals. Br J Sports Med., 56(17), 975-980.
6Springer BA, et al. (2007). Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 30(1), 8-15.
7Royal Osteoporosis Society. (2019). Exercises to promote bone and muscle strength.
https://strwebstgmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/z2mhsbs2/exercises-to-promote-bone-and-muscle-strength-fact-sheet-february-2019.pdf
