Healthy Life Tip: Take care of your muscles and they will carry you through life!

By Sharonne Gracia

Tip: Take care of your muscles and they will carry you through life!

Have you ever thought about how important our muscles are? Start by considering the activities you love doing the most, like dancing, playing with your kids, going for a walk, or even eating. It’s our muscles that make it all happen. Understanding the importance of healthy muscles for our daily activities is key to living a long and healthy life!

Believe it or not, nearly half of our body weight is made up of around 650 different muscles. Each muscle uniquely shapes our body and provides protection for your daily movements. Our muscles make smiling, breathing, and beating hearts possible.

Here are 3 practices for taking care of your muscles starting today:

• Fuel your muscles with adequate protein. Protein-packed meals provide the essential building blocks necessary for muscle maintenance and growth. Consume protein within 30 minutes of a hard workout to avoid the body breaking down muscle tissue as a source of energy for its recovery.

• Make time for exercise. Regardless of your training type, create a workout routine that helps your muscles stay strong, flexible, and ready for action.

• Hydrate. A good goal is to drink half your body weight (pounds) in ounces. Make a habit of drinking water throughout the day, not just when you feel thirsty. This ensures a consistent level of hydration to support ongoing muscle function.
  For example, let’s say you weigh 140 pounds:
  140 divided by 2 = 70 oz. water / day you should drink.
  There are 32 oz. in a quart, or 64 oz. in two quarts. So you’d want to drink a little more than 2 quarts of water a day if you weigh 140 pounds.
  

In conclusion, let’s be more mindful of our muscles. Combine a protein-rich diet, consistent exercise, and plenty of water for muscles that carry us through life!