Transcription
And have you ever noticed that with age, some people seem to shrink, their weight drops, but in this case, it doesn't mean at all that the person becomes healthier. More often than not, the opposite is true. I have one story. I had a patient, a 70-year-old woman, she looked good, was active and well-groomed. But over time, she started losing weight not because she wanted to, but because she was losing muscle. First, just weakness, then loss of endurance, and at some point, a fall, imagine, she fell and broke her leg. Thank God it wasn't her hip bone, otherwise, it would have been about joint replacement. Recovery, of course, took several months, and immobility, as you know, exacerbates everything. And after she recovered, she came to me with a request to restore muscle mass. And in this video, we will talk with you about leg muscles, because they are the foundation of health. Watch until the end and you will learn which three products you need to eat to support healthy legs and move without pain. And most importantly, I will show you effective techniques and exercises that will help restore strength to your legs. Please like this video before we start. This way, as many people as possible for whom this problem is also relevant will be able to see it. Why are leg muscles the foundation of health? Let's answer this question. When a person stands up, walks, climbs stairs, this is all the work of leg muscles. They are what maintain balance, and therefore, they protect against falls. And when muscle mass decreases, this is called sarcopenia, a person becomes weak, lethargic, and falls more often. In women after fifty, this process can accelerate due to hormonal changes. If nothing is done, then muscles not only become smaller but also stop participating in metabolism. And this already affects everything else, for example, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and even memory. And now, let me show you how to generally understand if you have enough muscles. And there is such a wonderful method. It's called bioimpedancemetry. It sounds complicated, but in reality, it's a very simple method. You lie down, for example, on a couch, special sensors are connected, which pass a weak current through the body, and a computer, a special device, will show how much muscle, how much water is in the body, how much fat is in the body. And a doctor who understands the ratios between fat, water, and muscle mass very well interprets this data and gives recommendations. This study helps to understand that if there are few muscles, then measures must be taken, because muscle mass is very important. Let's talk about which products help support muscles. If you notice that your muscles are decreasing, the first thing you need to do is add protein. Protein, as we know, is a building material, but not just any protein, but high-quality and easily digestible. And here are three products that are ideal for you. The first product is chicken eggs. Chicken eggs are a source of complete protein and lecithin. The yolk is especially beneficial, as it contains choline, which helps muscles contract. And you don't need to be afraid that eggs contain cholesterol. It will not affect your body in any way. Sardines. I'm sure you haven't even thought about this product. But it's not just protein, it's also omega-3. Sardines reduce inflammation and help the body use amino acids better. By the way, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids protect the walls of blood vessels. The next product is natural yogurt. It is the most accessible and easy source of protein and probiotics. It is especially good in the first half of the day. And if you add a little flaxseed, it will be a superfood. It's a super cocktail for muscles, but protein works only in combination with movement. Just eating eggs and lying down doesn't help. You must move, do exercises. By the way, have you heard that you need to walk 10,000 steps? Well, there are studies that say that the effect starts from 6,000 and it's better to distribute them throughout the day. What else can stop muscle loss? These are biologically active supplements or dietary supplements. Dietary supplements are concentrated substances. They should be selected based on tests. And a doctor can help you best with this. Therefore, now I will tell you about some supplements that will help restore muscle quality. The first is vitamin D. With its deficiency, the risk of sarcopenia increases, muscle function deteriorates, and the risk of falls increases. We have already talked about omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They reduce inflammatory markers and improve the quality of protein in the body and its digestibility. There are studies that show that 2-3 g of omega-3 per day increases muscle mass and strength in the elderly, especially in combination with physical activity. And, as I already said, nutrition and supplements must be combined with movement. And what exercises help with sarcopenia, I will show you now. The first exercise. It is done against a wall. It is static, so it loads the deep stabilizer muscles. We need to bend our knees. Lean against the wall, press your head and shoulder blades to the wall, and squat down to about a 45° angle at the hip. Squeeze a ball with your hands, you can take any other object, a towel, but so that the distance is about the size of a head. And raise your hands up, squeezing the ball tightly, making the upper muscle group work too. In fact, all the large deep stabilizer muscles work in this position. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to a minute. You can repeat two to three sets as you feel. After you finish this exercise, the muscles will come out of spasm and blood flow will significantly increase, accelerating metabolism in the muscles. This means that degenerative processes will slow down, and regenerative processes will increase. The second exercise strengthens the gluteal group. These are very large muscles that many people do not use and do not participate in the full range of motion. Because of this, joints are overloaded, especially the hip and knee joints. Over time, even arthrosis can develop. Therefore, we will definitely strengthen the gluteal group, activate the muscles, and bring them into tone. Lie on your side. One leg is bent, the other leg is straight. But it is very important to move the leg back slightly and control that the pelvis does not tilt backward. To do this, support your side with your hand. This is the starting position. And now, from this position, lift the leg that is on top. Lift it up as much as possible. At the same time, control that the heel moves slightly backward. In this case, the gluteal group is engaged. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Hold it firmly, feel how the muscles start to get tired. Slowly lower the leg down, but do not touch the floor. And immediately lift it up again for 15 seconds. Do this exercise until the muscles in the gluteal area start to get tired. You may feel a slight burning sensation there. After that, switch sides and repeat the same thing. And now I will show you an excellent exercise that works on strength, coordination, and activates leg muscles. This exercise is performed as follows. Lift your thigh up, stand on your toes, and lower yourself, taking a step. Return to the starting position and again step to the starting position. Step. Don't forget to stand on your toes and do this exercise 15 times on each side. You can do it near a wall or a chair to have a better sense of balance. For the next exercise, you will need a chair. This exercise activates the quadriceps femoris, the biceps femoris. These are the largest muscles in the body, so we will also pay great attention to them. It's not for nothing that these muscles are also called the second heart, because when they start to work and contract, blood flow increases by almost 600 times. I'm talking about capillary blood flow in the muscles, so let's move on to the exercise. Hands forward, slowly rise up until your thighs are at a 45° angle to the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Slowly return down, touching the chair with your buttocks. You can squat a little to relax the muscles, and then slowly rise up again. Try to do 10 cycles. Activation of the quadriceps and biceps femoris muscles enhances metabolism, which means muscle tone will be maintained in a better state and muscle loss will decrease. Write in the comments how you liked the exercise, was it easy or, on the contrary, do you feel resistance. And one more important exercise for your muscles is Nordic walking. I have already filmed the correct technique for Nordic walking in one of my videos. Be sure to subscribe to my channel to watch this video later. Use my recommendations, and in just a week and a half, you will feel stronger, more stable, and more alive. And with you was Doctor Long. See you in new videos.