How to start building back muscle loss?

Wilmicyn

Hi, I could really use some help in what would really be some good exercises to start to rebuild muscle loss. I am not active and I need to start getting active and getting my life back. I have chronic low back pain and need to build up my strength. I let it unfortunately get the better of me.
I have been doing MyFitnessPal for several years and have been fortunate to have lost over 100 lb but I've also lost a lot of muscle and struggle. I still need to lose more weight and it is slowly coming off. But I need to start some weight-bearing exercises and I'm just at a loss where to start. Any input, guidance or encouragement would be great. Thank you. Take care everyone.
Cynthia

Sand_TIger

Hi there! I'm in a similar situation as I lost too much muscle mass due to being too sedentary while losing weight. A good place to start if you are not active is simple walking. You might want to add in some body weight exercises as well to start up. Wall push ups or counter push ups if you can't handle regular ones, squats, lunges, that kind of thing. There are some fantastic tips on at home exercise you can do anywhere on YouTube and similar places.

When I remember to (which is the reason why I lost muscle mass, I didn't do this enough) I use exercise bands, dumb bells, etc. It's relatively cheap to get simple weights or exercise bands if you want those and they can be used basically anywhere. The key is to start doing a few exercises and build consistancy with them, then add more as they become too easy.

You've got this. It's so easy to overcomplicate exercise. The most important exercise is the one you do, the most important time to do it is the time you can do it. If you pick something you enjoy doing and add weight/time as you get better at it, you will build muscle. All the rest is just optimization and not really needed especially at first. Remember that it's easier to build muscle when you are new to it, and if "getting too bulky" is a concern, that takes a lot of time and dedication. All the best to you!

lynn_glenmont

It's good to get a qualified trainer, if only for one or two sessions, to ensure you start out with good form.

I favor whole body exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts) as opposed to exercises that try to isolate small groups of muscles or individual muscles.

You could start out with body-weight exercises (planks, push-ups, chin-ups/pull-ups/hangs, squats, lunges -- all with just your bodyweight). Walking/jogging/running is also weight-bearing.

nossmf

Swimming is also fantastic for combining cardio with resistance training (the water resists movement, forcing the muscles to work to push through). It's also easy on joints. Even just wading through waist-deep water will force the legs to work, or marching in place. Water aerobics classes deserve a better rep than they have for encouraging movement and strengthening idle muscles at the same time.

AnnPT77

nossmf wrote: »

Swimming is also fantastic for combining cardio with resistance training (the water resists movement, forcing the muscles to work to push through). It's also easy on joints. Even just wading through waist-deep water will force the legs to work, or marching in place. Water aerobics classes deserve a better rep than they have for encouraging movement and strengthening idle muscles at the same time.

This is a really excellent point.

Generically, any type of exercise that manageably challenges current strength will help rebuild muscle. (Sure, as you get stronger, whatever you're doing will get easier, and you'll need to keep gradually increasing the challenge to continue rebuilding strength/muscle.)

Lifting is the most time-efficient way to build strength and muscle. That doesn't mean it's the only way.

If lifting is too much of a challenge at first, anything that challenges your strength will help, and get you to a point where even more challenging strength exercises are possible. Other strength exercises (like bands or body weight exercises) can be close to as efficient as lifting, especially at first. But even things typically considered cardio use muscle, and will help you make progress at first.

If you start doing something(s), you will soon learn to recognize the signs of muscle fatigue that tell you you're being challenged. It isn't about pain - but a person can learn to recognize the muscular fatigue, in some cases notice some shaking as movement gets very challenging, recognize a bit of a taut feeling in the muscle a while after exercise . . . and yes, maybe at the very first a bit of mild muscle soreness the next day.

I'm a rower (on water and machine), and started that in my late 40s (from a pure depleted couch potato status post cancer treatment, very physically depleted after surgery, chemo, radiation). Rowing definitely increased my strength and muscle mass, though relatively slowly. Other forms of so-called cardio can do that, too . . . it's about finding a bit of a challenge. Swimming or water walking, even regular walking can be challenging enough to help at first, as can other forms of cardio, or things like yoga or Pilates.

Wishing you great progress!