What to know about preventing and managing sarcopenia

The term describes measures used to prevent or manage sarcopenia, the loss of muscle strength and muscle tissue that can occur with ageing, inactivity, poor nutrition or illness. Care focuses on function as well as muscle size: getting up from a chair, climbing steps, carrying groceries and walking steadily are useful markers. A clinician may review strength, mobility, food intake, medicines and health conditions that can contribute to decline.

Begin with an assessment if you have marked weakness, balance problems or a long period of inactivity. A physiotherapist can select resistance exercises for the legs, hips, back, arms and grip, then increase the challenge as control improves. Regular walking supports mobility but does not replace strengthening. Include protein-containing foods across meals and discuss reduced appetite, swallowing trouble or unplanned weight loss with a doctor or dietitian. Review the home for loose rugs, poor lighting and missing handholds if falls are a concern.

Consistency matters more than pushing through exhaustion. Allow recovery between demanding sessions, use stable support when balance is limited and record practical changes such as easier chair rises or steadier walking.

Arrange a clinical review for gradually worsening weakness, repeated falls, difficulty rising from a chair, reduced walking ability or unexplained weight loss. Seek urgent medical help for sudden weakness, weakness affecting one side, new facial drooping, trouble speaking, chest pain, severe breathlessness or inability to stand after a fall. Sudden symptoms can have causes other than sarcopenia and should not be managed by exercise alone.

Ask whether a health condition or medicine could be contributing to weakness, which movements are safe with your joint or heart conditions, and whether a physiotherapist or dietitian should be involved. You can also ask how progress will be assessed and what changes would require an earlier follow-up.