In home companion firm of Denver metro area, Barton Home Care, cites findings from research study on fitness levels in people at all ages and their need for health care resources.

It is established knowledge that fitness is an important part of aging in a healthy manner. Yet many adults over the age of 50 are unaware that one of the top five health risk factors involved with aging is the loss of muscle mass or sarcopenia. Adults who live a sedentary lifestyle will lose muscle mass faster than those with a more active lifestyle. Muscle degeneration is a leading cause of frailty and related conditions. Sarcopenia can impact mature adults in a myriad of ways including making it difficult to get out of a chair or contributing to falls and other related injuries.

According to Barton Home Care spokesperson, Gerri Tyber, “There is about a 15 percent decline of muscle mass between the ages of 40-60 and about an additional 1.5 percent shortly thereafter. Resistance or strength training exercises can be an invaluable tool to help reduce the loss of muscle mass which can contribute to fractures, falls, immobility and loss of independence. Simply stated, resistance training causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance like dumbbells or one’s own body weight like isometrics. The end result of resistance training is the strengthening of the musculoskeletal system. It should not be confused with weightlifting, power lifting or bodybuilding.”

An article in the April 2011 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal based on a research study analyzing twelve years of data from nearly 15,000 people, said that at all ages, relatively fit people had a lower mortality and used fewer health care services than people with higher frailty levels who used more health services and faced an increased risk of institutionalization.”

A little goes a long way according to Denver in home companion firm

Tom Barton, president of Barton Home Care adds, “Incorporating even the simplest of resistance or strength training exercises has been shown to help reduce the loss of muscle mass. A little bit each day goes a long way in preventing  fractures, falls, immobility, which ultimately lead to the loss of independence.”