Aging brings muscle loss (sarcopenia) that can be counteracted through in-home methods that don’t require expensive equipment or gym memberships.

Aging brings with it one especially concerning change in our bodies—a significant loss of muscle. This silent and persistent muscle loss also brings disturbing changes in lifestyle and the danger of fractures. Extensive research now emphasizes the importance of prioritizing muscle and grip strength.

Research and clinical settings related to geriatrics highlight sarcopenia as a significant public health concern affecting older adults. Sarcopenia is more common in older adults, with a prevalence of 5–13% in those 60–70 years old and 11–50% in those 80 and older. It’s more common in males (12.9%), women (11.2%), and those in nursing homes (33.7%) and hospitals (24.0%).

The frequency of sarcopenia does differ by sex and location. Today, it affects around 50 million individuals, and experts expect that the number will climb to 200 million in the next 40 years, even if they are conservative.

Muscle loss isn’t simple, and it involves specific areas of the body that affect not only our ability to function but also our identification of ourselves as capable and independent. The subtle loss of muscle and its infringement on our ability to care for ourselves also affects levels of depression and anxiety.

Believing we are less capable leads to negative self-esteem and affects how people perceive us. Therefore, early interventions are imperative to nip this in the bud before it develops into something negative in our lives.

Many medical insurance health plans promote exercise and gym membership, but not everyone wants to go to a gym or has a plan that supports in-home muscle rehab. Also, how many physicians write prescriptions for physical rehab for older patients without injuries?

The “older well” don’t receive this type of treatment, and isn’t all insurance built on symptoms or disorders? If there’s no ICD-10 code for it, how is it justified? In simple terms, there is no justification for it, and older adults are left to feel that it's a natural part of aging and that they must endure it. Not so. Once cleared by a healthcare professional, individuals can work on their muscle strength at their own pace and in the comfort of their own home.

What Does the Research Say?

With a median follow-up of 12 weeks, one research project search yielded 5988 citations. Out of these, 42 RCTs (randomized controlled trials) were deemed appropriate, including 3728 participants with sarcopenia (median age: 72.9 years, female: 73.3%).

Resistance exercise with or without nutrition and a combination of resistance exercise with aerobic and balance training were the most effective therapies for increasing quality of life compared to usual care. The most effective way to improve physical function as judged by ordinary gait speed was through resistance and balance exercises, with or without nutrition (MD: 0.16 m/s, moderate). It enables greater stability, walking, and functioning at a more acceptable level.

The impact of dietary treatments on handgrip strength was greater than that of exercise alone, but the effects on other measures of physical function were comparable. Doubtlessly, diet does play a role, but when incorporated with resistance training, the benefits are undeniable.

How Can You Do It at Home?

The Internet offers a wealth of information and video tutorials on simple, inexpensive ways to maintain muscle strength, whether overall or concentrated on hand strength. And we should understand that strong hands isn’t the total result here. The hands only work well because they are intimately connected to the wrist and the entire arm and working on both hands and arms has a result that will be beneficial overall to the arms and hands. I usually believe that rehab specialists are the ones who know best and I’ve provided a specific video here to the above-mentioned purpose.

Not all exercise needs anything more than what’s in the cupboard at home. You can use cans of food as lightweight "dumbbells" for doing simple exercises, whether for the hands, arms, or even the triceps (the muscle that forms that "bat wing" women develop).

The idea is to follow the lead of the tortoise in that famous tortoise and hare race; go slow and win the race. Starting off with too much weight or too intense will defeat the purpose and could cause injury. To maintain independence and a satisfying lifestyle, it's important to follow the advice of a physical rehab professional and develop a consistent plan of simple exercises that improve muscles and ward off mental health issues.