You need ‘good’ muscle mass, and not just for better workout performance. What most people do not consider is how much their muscle mass plays a key role in their overall health and well-being.
Muscle mass refers to the amount of muscle in your body, which includes your skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, and cardiac muscles.
Muscles are built from water and protein, so when you want to increase muscle mass, it is important to drink plenty of water and include protein in your diet.
Good muscle mass can aid the body when it is under stress, including during recovery from trauma or sickness. It can also help prevent diseases and other health conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
If your muscle mass is poor, or more correctly your muscle mass as a percentage of your total body mass is less than it should be, it can lead to limited physical function, a longer time to recover from illnesses, and negative impacts on your health and longevity. All in all, poor muscle mass equals reduced quality of life.
What are the Benefits of Muscle Mass?
Muscle mass plays an important role in many parts of your overall health. Here are just a few:
Improved Stability and Balance
Good muscle mass can help improve stability and balance. It is particularly important as you age as this is the time when you can become more prone to falling. Falls can lead to serious damage to the hips, wrists, and brain. Falling is a leading cause of death among seniors.
By strengthening your muscles and reversing muscle deterioration, you can keep your body more stable which will greatly help in preventing falls. It can help maintain regular body functions, such as walking and standing Of course, good muscle mass helps you when you need to lift anything.
Strengthening your abdominal muscles and lower back muscles will also provide more stability through improved posture. This helps treat and prevent lower back pain and reduce the risks of muscular and skeletal injuries.
Less Body Fat
High levels of body fat can cause various health conditions like high blood pressure, heart diseases, and inflammation that causes joint pain. This is why it is important to maintain healthy weight levels and lose the excess.
Increased muscle mass can help with burning more body fat. Whereas fat mass is mostly static, muscles consume energy. The faster your body builds muscles, the faster it burns calories and energy. The more muscle mass you have, the easier it is to prevent and reduce unwanted fat storage.
Improved Bone Health
Strength training to improve muscle mass can also assist with better bone health. Strength training helps build bone density, making your bones stronger and reducing the risk of bone loss. Strong bones help prevent osteoporosis and bone decay.
Stronger Immune System
Increasing muscle mass is good for the immune system. Why? Because of the exercise involved in building that muscle mass. If you exercise regularly and include strength training to build better muscle mass, it boosts your immune system. Exercise also has anti-inflammatory effects.
Altered muscle metabolism can help prevent common pathologic conditions and chronic diseases, including age-related dysfunction.
Improved Energy Levels
Good muscle mass can improve your energy levels and make you stronger to more efficiently perform your regular tasks. Strengthening your muscles also has a ripple effect on the rest of the body. When you exercise, it delivers more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. It will improve your endurance and help to prevent obesity.
Your heart and lungs also function more efficiently, so you have more energy and vitality to tackle your daily tasks. As you develop your muscle strength, doing your regular daily tasks requires less effort and becomes easier.
Improves Emotional Well-Being
Good muscle mass can also have mental health benefits, improving your psychological well-being. As you build your muscles through exercise, it helps reduce anxiety and dissipate stress hormones. Good muscle mass also enhances your appearance, which can boost your confidence and self-esteem.
Regulated Blood Pressure and Sugar Levels
Exercises for muscle mass such as weight lifting have been found beneficial in regulating blood pressure. They also help to increase the body’s insulin sensitivity, which is a vital factor in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
Good muscle mass plays a key role in your health and overall well-being. More than keeping your body upright, it can help boost your immune system, prevent diseases, strengthen your bones, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your mental health.
If you have not taken into consideration the importance and benefits of maintaining and increasing your muscle mass, now is the time to start thinking about it and making some necessary changes to achieve it.
