Keeping the muscles in your body healthy, including your heart and other organs, is highly important in being functional. Also, if you’re trying to keep your muscles big while maintaining the results from a workout, this is important. As all organs are muscles (almost), and all muscles are organs. The muscular system is an organ system consisting of skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscles. There are three distinct types of muscles: skeletal muscles, cardiac or heart muscles, and smooth (non-striated) muscles. In this article, we’re mostly talking about the skeletal muscles, but all muscles can benefit in very similar ways. As mentioned below, almost any muscle can garner the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise. I’m going to be listing the 10 amazing ways to keep your muscles healthy.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
1. Diet Healthy
Eating a healthy diet is important when trying to maintain muscle gain or getting in shape and keeping muscles healthy. The better the diet, the better you’ll be able to work your muscles the next time you workout. All diets that sustain good muscle health are all generally the same, but it obviously depends a little bit. The more you want to gain muscle and repair it, the more you should take in proteins. If you want to remain full longer, getting your fats and fiber in is important. You always want to be sure that you’re eating healthy, and in some cases, carbohydrates are acceptable before a workout for energy.
—
The ideal amount of protein for muscle protein synthesis is 1/2 a gram of protein per 1 pound of body weigh. In some cases, you want to get in more, but be aware that health is number one. The most important thing you should consider is avoiding processed foods that are especially high in calories. This means that you’ll gain weight and not get in your nutrients, e.g., your micro and macro. Keeping a ketogenic diet ideal in mind is always healthy, and there are other diets like the Mediterranean diet that work along the same lines. If you’re not trying to gain muscle and want healthy muscles, then this is what you should follow.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
2. Intermittent Fast
In a sense, fasting may not always be the absolute and ideal way to gain muscle. If you’re trying to simply stay healthy and maintain muscle on a diet though, it works. You see, intermittent fasting isn’t so much a diet as it is an eating routine and lifestyle improvement. It may sound ridiculous and insane at first, but with time, you’ll gain the discipline and want to do it every day.
—
There’s intermittent fasting, which is where you do it between every day, and prolonged fasting is where you do it for more than 36 hours. Fasting, if mixed properly with a schedule, can, if done properly, at the very least get you jacked well while losing weight. Since main-gaining is a good mindset when it comes to gaining muscle, as opposed to bulking (which is fine too), it works well.
—
It’s also about all of the other benefits that can keep your muscles healthy, and while getting big or lean is a part of it, it’s not everything. Fasting has benefits that range from autophagy to massive growth hormone production. This growth hormone production can help your muscles remain while fasting, and can even help them grow if you’re working out. The more you fast, the more you’ll appreciate yourself in the long run. Even if it’s not the best way to get lean, it’s one of the best ways to get healthy. Then again, it’s certainly one of the best and fastest ways to get that beach body you’ve always dreamed of.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
3. Take Supplements
There are plenty of supplements on the market that you can take to help you with gaining muscle and muscle health. Some of the obvious ones that many people think of include creatine, l-arginine, and horny goat weed. There are propietary blends you can take, but be careful. These branded supplements, while working good, can be overpriced and sold under false pretense. If you have allergies, be sure to get something that lists all of the ingredients to be sure you’re aware.
—
Of course, you’re probably already aware of this, but you can never be too sure. Beyond this, you just want to be sure that you’re getting a daily vitamin complex that includes all of your daily minerals as well. Getting in your micro and macro nutrients is important. It can be vitamin D from the sun, or it can be something else, but it’s important to try and get it from food first. This is a better sign of health than anything else, and it’s also why you should only take supplements that will supplement you if need be.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
4. Exercise
Of course, getting in exercise is important if you want to keep your muscles healthy. If you want to lose weight, cardio is your thing, and if you want to gain muscle, resistance training is key. Exercise helps with a process called autophagy too, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. It also very much depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, but it’s safe to say that any kind of exercise can help. Just be aware that exercise can also cause injury, so it’s safe to say that you should do your research and exercise safely.
—
Be sure to stretch after your workout, especially if you’re weightlifting. This way you can reduce the possibility of injury while also getting a better workout in. In general though, exercise is important, no matter what it is. If you’re trying to prevent muscle atrophy, you’ll have to be sure that you get exercise in every week. If you start slowing down, you can end up losing muscle and causing more injury for a multitude of reasons. Like I said, it always depends, but it’s important to get the basics down. The more you work your muscles, the healthier and stronger they will become. This means that a healthy muscle is also a strong muscle.
—
What’s recommended no matter what is at least 150 minutes of cardio every week (or silly 10,000 step challenges every day). If you want, working out in a gym is ideal, especially if you want to avoid losing muscle. Working out on things such as a stationary bike will help prevent a lose of muscle because it won’t be as hard on your joints or muscles. This tear-down of muscle occurs because of the stress of something like running on gravel or even a treadmill. To remain fit or muscular, it’s recommended that you work a body part twice a week with at least a day of rest in between.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
5. See a Doctor
If you’re noticing any problems with your body, it’s obvious that seeing a doctor is important. Consulting with a practitioner is recommended at least one a year, i.e, a checkup. It’s not to say that it’s necessary, at least for your muscles, but it’s certainly something you should do. Be sure to talk about your medical history and what you think about the problem.
—
Always be sure to ask questions, but also be sure to not take everything a doctor has to say seriously. This is important because getting stressed when at a doctor’s office does not help, especially if they may end up being wrong. If there’s something actually wrong, a doctor will possibly give you a regiment or a medication to help out. If you absolutely need it, be sure to take it. Prevention is key, but if you have an existing problem, be sure to take care of it as soon as possible, a doctor or not.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
6. Stay a Healthy Weight
To maintain a healthy weight is pretty logical and simple, and the more or less fat you have can make a difference. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to lose weight. If you’re lacking muscle, you will end up gaining weight easier, even if you’re skinny. You don’t want to be too skinny or too fat, but being fat is not necessarily associated with having a lot or too little muscle. If you’re skinny, you’re probably losing or have little muscle to begin with, and it’s never healthy to lose muscle fast or be too skinny. This can be a sign of other medical problems, including psychological ones. Also, the heavier you are, the more estrogen you have, and this can cause a plethora of issues. The issues can range from loss of muscle to cancer.
—
It’s healthy to avoid being too skinny, but it does not mean that you should end up being overweight. There’s an obesity crisis everywhere at the moment, and it can cause all sorts of problems, but especially heart problems. If your heart is overworking too much, it can cause a heart attack. Since your heart is the most important muscle in the body, you should be well to consider your body weight in fat terms. Lastly, the heavier you are, the harder it is to see your muscles, let alone keep them healthy or useful. Too much strain on your muscles from weight can be a severe health problem. While it can make them larger, it’s not worth getting heavy over, and it’s certainly not worth dying for.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
7. Take a Break
Giving yourself time to rest is very important if you want to keep your muscles healthy. If you’re constantly working, exercising, or drinking coffee, you may end up struggling to maintain it. You can end up causing injury or muscle loss that can have long-term ramifications. Overworking is a problem nowadays too, and it can cause strain on the heart and other muscles. If you don’t give your muscles time to rest, then you won’t only not gain muscle, you can also lose it. All it all, if you don’t give yourself time for relaxation, it’s essentially muscle abuse. You’re not an abuser, are you? If you’re not, then great, but if you are, you can end up paying for it with your life.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
8. Avoid Getting Sick
Getting sick is never fun, and it can be a sign of a health problem and cause issues too. What we’re talking about here is the common cold or other sicknesses that can keep you from doing what you normally do. If you have to take too much time off, then you may end up not being able to work out, etc. This is the last thing you want, because it can either directly or indirectly impact your overall health.
—
Avoiding injury is also important, because it can cause sickness and immune problems as well. The more you try to maintain your safety, the better off you’ll be. This means to avoid going to places where a person may be sick or wearing a mask to avoid the spread of an illness. Of course, we can’t always be keen to our health, so it’s simply a matter of making it a habit and doing best with what we’ve got.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
9. Avoid Stress
Dealing with stress is never fun, and like getting sick, can cause problems with your immune system and any gains. If you’re stressed, not only are you less likely to do stuff, it can make doing stuff meaningless. The best things you can do are trying to figure out the source of the problem, trying your best to avoid overworking, and trying to follow the things on this list. The bad thing about stress though is that it can directly impact your health.
—
If you end up getting sick, you can become stressed, and if you’re stressed, you can become sick. Stress can literally make you lose muscle and become extremely unhealthy. Any kind of stress, including depression and anxiety are also unnecessary burdens that you may have to end up dealing with. The best thing you can do is practice in dealing with them, try to laugh, meditate to some degree, and get yourself out and about. Be sure to not overdo it though, and make sure to get some sun while you’re at it, too.
The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
10. Avoid Drugs and Damage
Drugs and injury (damage) are bad, and they’re both things you should do your best to avoid. Drugs can cause damage, and damage can cause you to feel like you must take a drug. In some cases, it may be necessary, but it’s best to avoid it or to know what to expect. Drugs and drug addiction are real, and even ones that can “help” with muscle gain are never good in the long-run, especially for your heart. The thing with drugs is that they can cause negligence and direct harm. If you want to avoid this, it’s best to do so by finding healthy alternatives.
—
Things like alcohol and even coffee can be dangerous because of their effect on testosterone. Cigarettes are bad too because of what they can do to lung and cardiac health. All drugs are bad to some degree, and this includes hard drugs. They’re the worst, and you don’t need to hear about muscles to know the numerous ways that they’re bad. If you need or rely on drugs, there are healthier alternatives. The funny thing is that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Final Thoughts: The 10 Amazing Ways to Keep Your Muscles Healthy
There you have it! These are the 10 amazing ways to keep your muscles healthy and functional. While there’s always more to mention, this should give you a good and solid start. While much of this should be common knowledge, it’s unfortunately not, and it begs the question as to why. The more you keep up with your health, the better you are going to feel and act. Unless you want to be miserable, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t at least be trying some of these already. Just be sure to get on top of it, because the sooner you start, the better off you will be. Good luck on getting healthier.