Even brief bursts of exercise help muscle wastage, obesity

It’s no secret old age can rob us of our strength. This age-related muscle wastage – known as sarcopenia – can eventually lead to more falls, more hospital stays, difficulty with walking or toileting and less independence.

Eventually, it can mean needing residential aged care.

Many people imagine a person with this condition is old, frail and very thin. But in fact, people who are not thin – and not particularly old – can also have sarcopenia.

Sarcopenic obesity is where a person with excess body weight – particularly fat – has also lost a lot of muscle mass and strength.

The condition, driven by lack of exercise and poor nutrition, can sneak up on people and set in well before they realise there’s a problem. It can affect otherwise healthy people, especially from middle age onwards.