Elderly - Abdominal Fat and Lungs
The temptation to give up physical activity can be great among older folks who are already tired, maybe even breathless, from the rigors of a lifetime lived.
But for older people, giving up or avoiding exercise can quickly result in loss of muscle mass and increased deposits of abdominal fat, including around the lungs, a condition doctors call sarcopenia obesity.
That can cause reduced lung function, which usually leads to a fatigue and breathlessness that can make exercise seem even less appealing.
That downward spiral can happen quickly among the elderly, who are already prone to muscle wasting.
But the good news is that even a little loss of excess body fat can produce a significant improvement in lung function, even in older people.
Staying active most important, because even as exercise accelerates weight and fat loss, it also strengthens the lungs themselves, offering older lungs double protective benefits from any exercise efforts.
Getting old is unavoidable, but getting tired and breathless isn't.
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