How to maintain muscle strength while refraining from going out?

In the midst of an epidemic of contagious delta mutations, the most effective way to prevent infection is to stay at home whenever possible. However, there is a tendency to lose muscle while sitting idle at home. If you don’t move, what are the ways to maintain the muscle mass and muscle mass you lost?

You can keep your muscles unused and lose muscle mass rapidly even when you are young. In an experiment in which men in their early 20s were placed in bed continuously for 1 week, an average muscle mass reduction of 1.4 kg was obtained. And when it comes to muscle strength, a 10-20% decrease can be obtained.

Of course, the results of this study are the result of intentionally disabling muscles, so waiting at home does not mean that muscle mass is dropping at this rate. However, according to a study at the University of Padova that investigated the muscle mass while waiting at home due to COVID-19, it is said that concerns about muscle mass sensitivity and physical function have reached a necessary level in just two weeks, when a detectable loss of muscle mass in two days at home begins.

According to a study that analyzed 64 cases of behavioral change during curfew, it was confirmed that in most cases, the rate of movement accompanying physical activity decreased and the rate of sedentary activity was increasing. In this situation, as a way to maintain muscle even while waiting at home, which is important, if there is no equipment, push-ups, planks, lunges, squats, etc., and if there is equipment, exercise using dumbbells or resistance bands is recommended.

It is said that muscle training should be performed at least 2 days a week, with at least 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise a day, such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling. If it is difficult to perform 30-minute continuous exercise, we recommend a snack-type exercise that divides the 30-minute exercise time into 5 to 10 minutes and divides it into 1 day. It is recommended to introduce muscle training in daily life, such as squatting on one side while washing the dishes, climbing stairs as quickly as possible, sitting on a chair and getting up and repeating at high speed for 30 seconds, or using a cart loaded with loads.

It is recommended that you train your muscles when you are young because there is a function called muscle memory that keeps your muscles to a certain extent when you exercise. Related information can be found here.