I've seen my own grandfather lose his independence at eighty-three years old simply because he was no longer able to use his legs. He went from being able to walk on his own to being confined to a wheelchair in less than six months due to muscle loss. I'm referring to an individual who had been active his entire life and was suddenly unable to stand up from a seated position. When I was younger, I believed that aging was simply a process that involved weakness and helplessness.
My grandmother, who was the same age as my grandfather, was gardening, going upstairs, and living an independent lifestyle. The difference between these two individuals was not that one was lucky or had good genes. The difference was that one was creating conditions that built muscle mass, while the other was creating conditions that destroyed it. The reality is that leg strength in your eighties has nothing to do with good genes or good luck.
Here's what actually works. You must include weight-bearing exercises. Your muscles must have weight to maintain mass. Walking every day isn't enough. You must challenge your legs. Protein must also be included because your body gets weaker at making it. Balance must also be included because falling can mean loss of independence. Sitting around for hours destroys your legs faster than anything. Simply standing from a chair throughout the day makes a huge difference.
I learned different ways that my ancestors maintained strength even into old age from a survival ebook that I found. This ebook helped me learn that weakness isn't inevitable. It's a choice that we make.
Now, I don’t simply accept that aging equates with frailty, and that I should wait until problems arise before taking action. This includes bodyweight squats and leg exercises, every day from now on. Ensuring that I consume enough protein for muscle maintenance. Being physically active, rather than sitting around for hours. Engaging in balance exercises, lest I suffer a fall of catastrophic consequence. And understanding that the work I do in my sixties and seventies directly equates with my eighties, and that my independence in old age is not a product of chance, but a direct result of maintaining my leg strength, even when I don’t desperately need it.
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