Styles of clothing change. Hairstyles change. Trends go in and out. One physical attribute that hasn’t budged in years is muscles. They are wonderful and essential. Women want them and men crave them. The old adage is true: “Use 'em or lose 'em.” That’s exactly what happens when people don’t exercise. Muscle strength is lost.

The good news is that you can restore muscle integrity. Here are some muscular facts to motivate you to stay with or get with a muscle-building program. (Always check with your doctor or fitness professional before you begin any new exercise program or if you have concerns. Begin a new workout slowly to avoid injuries.)

Muscles are fleshy portions of the body, that contract and relax to permit the movement of bones. To strengthen any muscle group, you must contract the muscle against resistance. This doesn’t mean you need to become a body
builder. Moving a muscle against resistance is as simple as pushing your own weight around, like doing pushups or abdominal crunches (a variation of the old-fashioned sit-up).

Think of muscles as tiny strings that make up a strong, thick rope. When you lift anything (baby out of the car seat, bag of cement, your brief case), you’re just using a small portion of the “strings,” but when there is continued use of the muscles that lift, more and more fibers come into play. Maybe you’ve noticed how lifting the same amount of weight over time feels lighter. That’s because you’ve become stronger.

Doing a number of repetitions and lifting a specific amount of weight will increase your strength just so far. The only way to increase strength after that time is to increase the weight. To regain the strength of your muscles after a time-out from exercise, start slowly. A group of senior adults in the ’70s and ’80s began a walking program. They started with five minutes and over a year they were walking an hour. After only two months, the strength, endurance and reflex speed of their thigh muscles dramatically improved. Start your own program with five minutes and increase it as you feel more fit.

For a quick upper arm strength-building exercise, just grab two unopened cans of vegetables or soup (or two books, two unopened bottles of water or two bags of uncooked pasta). Hold one item in each hand and with elbows close to the body pull hands close to the chest. Now extend forearms out so that they are parallel to the floor. Do this five times. Then turn hands over and with elbows close to the body and cans of soup facing the floor, lower your forearms to your thighs and then bring them back parallel to the floor. Start with five of these and increase both exercises as you become more fit.