Unless you own the Time Stone, your last name is Strange and you’re from the Marvel Comic Universe, it’s quite fair to say that you don’t know what the future has in store for your health. For instance, will you have to rely on a wheelchair to get around, or will you still be able to ride an e-scooter 10 years down the road? The Ministry of Health Singapore estimates that one in two healthy Singaporeans aged 65 could become severely disabled in their lifetime and require long-term care. And no, this isn’t the result of accidents or disease but a sobering peek into your future if you don’t take care of your muscles now. For starters, not many welcome growing older. Your skin develops wrinkles and dark spots. You now have to mind your cholesterol levels, and the clincher: Weight gain. While all that is happening, you’re also losing muscle mass, no thanks to the ageing process. “Studies show that starting at the age of 40, we lose about 8 per cent of muscle every decade, with the rate almost doubling to 15 per cent every decade after the age of 70,” said Dr Christopher Lien, a senior consultant at Changi General Hospital’s (CGH) Geriatric Medicine department. WHY IS MUSCLE LOSS A CONCERN? You’d think that weight loss is great. After all, it’s a goal you’ve pursued your entire adult life, isn’t it? Contrary to the present you (that is, if you’re in your 30s or 40s), “weight can… [Read full story]
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