Older adults need to get off the couch and on their feet.
New research shows older people should walk 10,000 steps every day in order to avoid a loss of muscle mass, weight gain, and bone density.
The study by the University of Liverpool looked at what inactivity does to the body. The researchers noted that while people are living longer, they are often more sedentary in those later years.
The research found that regardless of age, muscle loss and weight gain were relatively equal over a two-week test period. But it's important to note that older adults already have less muscle and it's harder to get it back.
Additionally, after just two weeks, only the older participants showed a steep decline in two essential physiological processes: cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and mitochondrial function. CRF means how efficiently muscles are supplied with oxygen during sustained periods of exercise. Meanwhile, mitochondrial function refers to cell energy production, which is essential to both muscle and metabolic health. The research team say it is likely that these observed deficiencies play a large role in overall body deterioration during periods on inactivity.
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