02/09/2025
I plan on Thriving well into my 100th birthday and beyond. I plan on being very active.... no nursing home for this chickadee....😘🥰
The Most Underrated Organ for Your Health: Muscle
If I told you there’s one “organ” that could slash your risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer… would you believe me?
No, it’s not your liver. Not your heart. Not your gut.
It’s muscle.
That’s right — the tissue most people treat like an accessory for vanity and aesthetics is, in fact, the single most protective and anti-aging organ in your body. The more you have, the better your metabolism, resilience, and longevity. The less you have, the faster you age.
Here’s the shocking truth: unless you actively fight against it, you will lose over 40% of your muscle mass as you age. That’s why so many older adults struggle to walk, get up from a chair, or live independently — not because they’re “old,” but because they’re weak.
Muscle loss isn’t a normal part of aging. It’s a normal part of neglect.
So, let’s dive into how to build and keep muscle for life, and I’ll give you some action steps you can start today.
1. Resistance Training is Non-Negotiable
If you want to keep your muscle, you have to give your body a reason to hold onto it. That means lifting, pushing, pulling, squatting, hinging, carrying.
Not yoga. Not cardio marathons. Not endless Pilates. (Those have benefits, but they won’t stop muscle loss.)
And here’s a controversial truth: don’t blindly follow 20-year-old influencers who’ve never felt a creaky knee or had to balance strength training with a career and kids. What works for them doesn’t necessarily work for you.
Action Steps:
- Train your whole body with weights at least 2–3x per week.
- Focus on compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows).
- If you’re a beginner, hire a coach or follow a simple program — don’t overcomplicate it.
- Progressively add weight, reps, or intensity. If it’s easy, your muscle has no reason to stay.
2. Eat Enough Protein
Muscle is built from protein, yet most adults eat barely enough to survive — not to thrive.
If you’re serious about muscle, aim for 0.75–1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. Yes, that’s a lot. No, your kidneys won’t explode (that myth has been debunked repeatedly).
Best sources:
- Red meat
- Fish
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Whey protein
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
Action Steps:
- Build every meal around a protein source.
- Track your intake for a week to see where you’re at. Most people are shocked by how low it is.
- Use protein shakes if needed — it’s better to supplement than miss your target.
3. Walk 8–12K Steps Per Day
Being sedentary is the fastest way to lose muscle, especially in your legs. Ever notice how older adults struggle with stairs, or why nursing home residents lose independence so fast? It’s not “just age” — it’s disuse.
Action Steps:
- Get up every hour and move for 5 minutes.
- Add a morning and evening walk — even 20 minutes each makes a difference.
- If you sit at a desk, invest in a walking pad or standing desk.
4. Improve Your Sleep
Sleep is when your body repairs, recovers, and grows muscle. Cut your sleep short, and you cut short your gains — and your health.
Poor sleep wrecks hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, and cortisol, all of which directly impact muscle maintenance.
Action Steps:
- Install blackout curtains.
- Take magnesium glycinate before bed.
- Get evening sunlight to anchor your circadian rhythm.
- Journal to clear racing thoughts.
- Move your body daily — even just a brisk walk improves sleep quality.
5. Eat Enough Calories
This one’s controversial: if you’re always dieting, you’re losing muscle.
Extreme calorie deficits signal to your body: “We’re starving — muscle is expensive, get rid of it.” That’s why yo-yo dieting ages people faster.
Action Steps:
- If you want fat loss, aim for a slow pace: about 1 lb/week, or up to 2 lbs/week if you’re very overweight.
- Prioritize protein and strength training while dieting to protect muscle.
- Don’t fear maintenance calories — they’re where your body thrives.
6. Get More Sunlight
Sunlight isn’t just about Vitamin D. It improves sleep, lowers cortisol, boosts testosterone, reduces inflammation, and even stimulates growth hormone.
Yes, sunlight literally helps you build muscle. Yet most people avoid it like the plague and live like mushrooms indoors.
Action Steps:
- Get at least 15–20 minutes of direct sunlight daily (no sunscreen for that window).
- Morning sun is best for circadian rhythm and hormone balance.
- In winter, consider red light therapy or a Vitamin D supplement.
7. Reduce Stress
Cortisol is your stress hormone, and while it’s useful in small bursts, chronic high cortisol is a muscle-killer. It increases inflammation, worsens sleep, reduces testosterone, and breaks down muscle tissue.
Action Steps:
- Practice breathwork, meditation, or prayer daily.
- Set boundaries — stress isn’t just internal, it’s lifestyle.
- Walk outside daily (nature is one of the most underrated anti-stress tools).
8. Boost Your Testosterone (Naturally)
Testosterone tells your body: “Keep building muscle.” Yet it declines by about 1% per year after age 30.
Do nothing, and the decline is guaranteed.
But here’s the good news: you can slow or even reverse it with lifestyle. And no, most people don’t need testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) — that’s just a billion-dollar industry convincing you otherwise.
Action Steps:
- Strength train. Nothing boosts testosterone more.
- Sleep 7–9 hours.
- Eat enough protein, fat, and micronutrients (zinc, magnesium, Vitamin D).
- Minimize alcohol and processed food.
- Maintain a healthy body fat percentage — too high or too low both tank testosterone.
9. Cut Down on Processed Food
Here’s where people get mad: the more processed junk you eat, the weaker and more inflamed you’ll be. Period.
Processed food is engineered to be hyper-palatable but nutrient-empty. It raises cortisol, lowers testosterone, worsens absorption, and accelerates muscle breakdown.
Yes, real food takes more effort. But the payoff is strength, energy, and resilience for life.
Action Steps:
- Build 80–90% of your diet around real food: meat, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables (if tolerated)
- Batch cook to make real food convenient.
- Learn to flavor food with herbs and spices — “healthy” doesn’t mean boring.
Final Thought: Muscle is Youth, Period.
A wrinkled face doesn’t make you old. Weak muscles do.
The difference between someone who thrives in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and someone who declines isn’t genetics or luck — it’s how much muscle they fought to keep.
Muscle isn’t just about looking good. It’s about staying alive, independent, and thriving.
So the question is: are you going to let 40% of your muscle waste away with age… or are you going to fight back?
👉 What’s the one action step from this list you’re going to start with today?
