Rebuilding Lost Muscle

by Matilda Charles
How many of us feel that we have lost muscle strength during the pandemic? Un- fortunately, the answer is that many of us have, and we’re going to have to fight to get it back.
There we were, with regular workout and walking routines, on top of all our other daily activities. Along came COVID and its stay home restrictions. There were no more early morning walks at the mall, no more visits to the gym for weight training, no more workout or dance classes—not even any Tai Chi at the senior centerThere went our muscle mass.

Getting back to where we were is going to be tough—but we need to try.
Here are a few thoughts on re-building our muscle strength:

• Look to YouTube for exercise videos designed for seniors. You will find thousands: seated exercises, workouts at home, walking workouts, low impact, beginners, and so many more.
• Sit in a kitchen chair and stand up. Sit down again. Stand up. Repeat 10-12 times.
• Invest in hand weights (order them from Amazon and they’re delivered right to your door). Don’t kid yourself and assume you’re ready to wield a pair of 10-pound weights. Start small with 2-pound weights. If you need to order heavier ones, again, be cautious and don’t jump up more than 1-2 pounds. Try increasing the number of repetitions day by day. If necessary, use 1-gallon plastic jugs (one in each hand), partially filled with water, as weights.
• If you have stairs in your home, use them to help your leg muscles. In-crease the number of times you go up and down each day.

Take it easy, especially at the beginning, but be persistent. Some of us are going to have to fight hard to rebuild the muscle mass we’ve lost.