Iso-muscles

I talked to a physio therapist 'the other day' (yesterday as I write this), about doing stuff to stay in shape. Note that 'round' is also a shape which occurs naturally if you don't stay active, but that is the one shape I don't aspire.

He told me that any kind of physical activity is good, be it isotone or isometric exercise. Before you quit reading, let me go for the quick details.

Isotone

That's when you walk, run, lift weights, do repetitions and all those exercises. The ones where you move.

Isometric

That's when you assume a position to put some stress on muscles (think yoga for example). The exercises where you don't really move.

A few days ago (again, as I am writing this) I read that, after your 60th year, your muscles will lose up to 3% in mass every year if you don't stay active, using those muscles. As the physio man said: "Use them or lose them." It's that simple, and it makes sense.

He also said that this deterioration already starts around 40 years of age, with about 1% per year, gradually going up to 2% around your fifties, and yes, even more when you get older.

Unless you keep doing things. No need to run marathons. Walking is good. Lifting things up, like shopping bags, is good. Riding a bicycle: good, as long as you don't rely on an e-bike with the highest support.Don't automate the hell out of every physical thing in your life, or your body will go down and let you down. And only you can change that.