Age-Related Muscle Loss and Sarcopenia Affect Most Older People—But You Can Prevent It

Here’s what you can do to protect your muscles and your strength.

By Monique LebrunPublished: May 12, 2022

 

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As runners, we embrace change. We’re always looking to become faster, stronger, or healthier, especially as we age. So, it can be hard to grapple with the idea that as you get older, you start to lose muscle, or even become weaker. That’s especially true when you hear about Mariko Yugeta, the first woman over 60 to finish a marathon in under 3 hours, or Gene Dykes, world record holder for the fastest 50k in his age group.

You might think you’re covered, considering the many benefits of running, but the truth is everyone can develop age-related muscle loss—even those of us who clock countless miles on our feet. Plus, if you don’t do anything to counteract your muscle loss, then your condition can progress into a musculoskeletal condition known as sarcopenia.

For that reason, we spoke to experts and dug into the research to find out what runners need to know about age-related muscle loss, as well as how to prevent and reverse sarcopenia.

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What is sarcopenia and how does it differ from age-related muscle loss?

To be considered sarcopenic, Mark Peterson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., associate professor at the University of Michigan says someone must have declines in not only muscle mass, but also strength and function to the point that it is detrimental to one’s health. In fact, sarcopenia can be so detrimental that it can increase your risk of falls and fractures, and even can lead to functional decline, frailty, and mortality. “All of us will not experience sarcopenia, but we will experience a deceleration of muscle mass and strength with age,” Peterson adds.

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How is sarcopenia diagnosed?

“Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of muscle function linked to a reduction in muscle mass,” Alfonso Cruz Jentoft, Ph.D., lead researcher for the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People and director of the geriatric department of Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid tells Runner’s World. While in the past, experts said if you were older and had low muscle mass, then you also have sarcopenia, but now you have to show signs of decline in strength and function.

If you experience a loss in strength—which you might notice when it becomes difficult to lift items you normally could in the past—that’s the first sign of sarcopenia. There’s also a decline in muscle quality or quantity—which doctors measure through a DXA scan, CT, or MRI—and in severe cases, a decline in physical performance, which is assessed with a gait speed test or timed up-and-go test.

If you suspect you have sarcopenia, you can reach out to your primary care physician to test you for the condition. Despite how much experts and researchers understand about the sarcopenia, there isn’t a universal way to screen people for it and many cases go undetected, Jentoft writes in a research paper. This makes it hard to pinpoint if the condition adversely effects one group of people over another.

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What runners should know about sarcopenia

Naturally, Jentoft says, “older adults are at higher risk for developing sarcopenia. Those who are physically inactive, do not exercise, or do not eat well—especially those who do not eat enough protein—are at the highest risk.” Jentoft defines enough protein as 1 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day for older adults and 1.5 grams for older adults living with sarcopenia.

Also, people—young and old—living with other health conditions like osteoporosis, cerebral palsy, and some neurodevelopmental conditions can develop the condition as well, says Peterson.

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While exercise is smart for the aging population at risk for sarcopenia, running won’t necessarily stave off the condition. “Aerobic-type exercise, like running, does not do much for counteracting sarcopenia and depending on your nutrition intake, it can actually exacerbate it, if you’re in a caloric deficit,” says Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., professor of exercise science at Lehman College and director of the graduate program in human performance and fitness. Long-distance runners who don’t strength train, he says, are just as prone to developing the sarcopenia as a sedentary individual.

Paterson agrees: “If a competitive runner in college or beyond, stops running as avidly as they did, they have a higher risk for potentially having sarcopenia and osteoporosis, if they don’t maintain some kind of fitness regimen that lends itself towards preservation of muscle and bone.”

How to prevent and reverse age-related muscle loss and sarcopenia

Nutrition and exercise are key factors in the solution to prevent age-related muscle loss and sarcopenia. “Movement is only one half of the equation, the other half is adequate nutrition,” says Peterson.

Research backs this up: One study published in the journal Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics in 2019, found that older adults who took a daily whey protein supplement and practiced regular resistance exercises for a 12-week period had greater improvements in hand grip strength when compared to those who only practiced resistance training.

Why? For starters, protein is a key component in building muscle. “The only way that you can have improvements and muscle synthesis is by replacing the amino acids and protein that you have taken from the muscle to repair and recover from that stimulus,” Peterson says.

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Plus, he adds, “when somebody becomes malnutritional—whether that’s because they don’t take in anything or all they eat is garbage—they can become high risk for sarcopenia.” Research echos this too: A cohort study published in the journal Nutrients in 2019 found malnutrition is a strong predictor of the onset of sarcopenia, increasing risk four-fold.

What’s more: Other studies have found taking nutrition supplements like vitamin D can help improve muscle quality in older adults. Researchers of a randomized trail published in 2015 found after 12 weeks of resistance training, elderly men who also received a vitamin D supplement had greater improvements in muscle quality than the younger men who received the training regiment. (However, vitamin D didn’t have an effect on muscle hypertrophy or strength.)

Another study, published in the Geriatrics & Gerontology International journal in 2019, found that a 12-week program, which included bodyweight exercises, protein, and a vitamin D supplement was an effective way to improve muscle quality and strength in sarcopenic individuals.

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While running might not protect you from the condition, other forms of exercise will offer some advantages for your muscles. “Sarcopenia reflects muscle atrophy, which is a loss of muscle. And hypertrophy is the gaining of muscle mass,” Schoenfeld says. To counteract sarcopenia, you need to focus on training for hypertrophy. And to do that, you need resistance exercises, like weight training.

Exactly how to train to reduce risk of age-related muscle loss and sarcopenia

Schoenfeld recommends regimented resistance exercises to stave off sarcopenia, and he suggests aiming for two to three strength sessions per week, working for 30 to 45 minutes. “You just have to lift hard,” he says, suggesting you lift close to failure.

Most importantly, you want to focus on progressive overload—gradually increasing the amount of weight you lift overtime. For beginners to master this technique, Schoenfeld suggests lifting about 65 to 75 percent of your one-rep max (the most you can lift for just one repetition) for 10 to 15 reps each set. That means that if your one-rep max is 100 pounds, then you should start out lifting anywhere between 65 to 75 pounds and progress the load from there.

Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

If you've ever been sore after a tough workout, odds are you sought out ways to speed up the recovery process in order to alleviate your soreness. In order to understand how you can do that, you first have to understand what recovery is. Once we get that out of the way, we can cover a handful of scientifically validated muscle recovery techniques. Let's get started.

What is Recovery?

In a scientific sense, muscle recovery is simply "returning what was lost due to exercise." However, simply returning to baseline fitness levels isn't exactly the goal of most athletes. Indeed, anyone with a competitive spirit would likely prefer that their recovery efforts lead to adaptation, hence the even more scientific term, "recovery-adaptation." With this model, not only are we returning what was lost due to exercise, but we're also implementing nutrition, supplement, and actionable strategies to promote enhanced recovery, thus supporting adaptation.

So, what's the big deal about adaptation? Adaptation is the whole point of a training program! Whenever you improve your mile time, increase your bench press one-rep max, or even lose weight, you've adapted to your training program. Constantly chasing novel adaptations is how we progress in exercise performance. Therefore, improving our recovery techniques should enhance overall recovery which (hopefully) will lead to better adaptations!

In research, we usually define recovery objectively by a muscle's rate of returning to its baseline isometric force production. Envision a biceps curl, if you will. Let's say you can produce 50kg of force with your elbows flexed at 90 degrees, but after you undergo a tough biceps workout, you can only produce about 40kg of force. Within 24 hours, that number will probably drop to 35 kilograms and you'll have noticeable soreness. A similar story will likely be seen around hour 48, but by hour 72, your force generation should start trending upward and soreness will probably be heading back to baseline. This is the recovery process at work!

But, as you can see, the above example requires at least 72 hours for recovery to start happening. For novel or intense exercise, the recovery window can even be much longer—seven days or more! The problem is, to optimally adapt to your training, you need to be pretty close to fully recovered before training in the same manner again. Why? Well, if your muscles are still damaged and sore following a previous workout, you'll likely have lasting central nervous system fatigue that reduces your ability to contract and use your muscles. What this means, then, is that any workout performed in a non-recovered state will be suboptimal for further adaptations and may also increase injury risk.

Therefore, recovery is a pretty big deal. Let's discuss some muscle recovery techniques to help you enhance your adaptation window.

Nutrition and Recovery

When it comes to recovery, nutrition is the best way to focus on "returning what was lost." If we think about this statement from a nutrition perspective, what do we lose during exercise? The three main things are:

1. Water, through sweat
2. Sodium (and other electrolytes), through sweat
3. Muscle glycogen, through the metabolic cost of exercise

Therefore, your nutrition strategies during the post-workout recovery period should largely focus on those three factors. I'd recommend drinking at least 16 fluid ounces (~500mL) of water within 30 minutes of your workout, as well as some carbohydrate sources. The type of carbohydrate doesn't matter too much unless you're training again in less than 24 hours. Research shows that different types of carbohydrates can replenish muscle glycogen to similar levels beyond 24 hours. However, if you train twice within a 24-hour period, you might be better off with more simple carbs following your workouts. A great target to aim for is 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight following a workout. If you train multiple times a day or exercise for more than an hour at a time, you might want to aim for closer to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. I'd also highly recommend a quality protein source following your workout, as most types of exercise will cause some sort of disruption to muscle architecture (i.e., muscle damage and muscle breakdown). Dietary protein provides the supplies to repair and rebuild your muscles.

The "fastest," easiest to digest, and most convenient sources are usually whey protein drinks. However, you can also have a full meal after your workout as that will help you get some salt and electrolyte intake, as well. When it comes to post-workout protein intake, I'd aim for 20-40 grams of a high-quality protein. Whey, egg, and most animal sources are great options for high-quality protein. If you're vegan or vegetarian, try to mix multiple plant sources to ensure you're getting the full spectrum of amino acids.

Supplements and Recovery

Since many of us are trying to squeeze workouts into our busy lives, supplements can come quite in handy. Essentially, the role of supplements in recovery is to perform the same function as nutrition, just in a more convenient form. Therefore, seek out supplements that emphasize hydration and/or carbohydrate drinks. Additionally, protein shakes are also a great method of conveniently imbibing quality protein.

It's important to keep in mind that the vast majority of supplements will have very minor effects on recovery or performance. When it comes to recovery, additional supplements that may help include:

Creatine

Supplemental creatine is usually in the form of creatine monohydrate; this is the most widely used form of creatine and also has tons of research evidence to support its use. Occasionally, you'll see alternative forms of creatine marketed as being more effective than monohydrates. That's hogwash. Ignore those claims. Some supplement companies are attempting to solve a problem that doesn't exist; there are no issues with creatine digestion, absorption, or storage with creatine monohydrate.

With that rant out of the way, we have evidence that creatine can support recovery after hard exercise. This is likely because creatine can both enhance protein synthesis (creation of new muscle proteins) and may also limit post-exercise intracellular calcium concentrations. By limiting excess calcium, fewer enzymes are released to break down muscle following exercise.

In turn, you'll have less soreness! To enhance recovery, I'd suggest adding 2-5 grams of creatine monohydrate to some sort of drink following exercise. To stay frugal, I'd recommend an unflavored creatine powder which should mix well with something like orange juice or even a protein shake.

Beetroot (or others)

Beetroot is a popular supplement for enhancing blood flow via the production of nitric oxide. Beetroot falls into a category of supplements known as vasodilators or nitric oxide "boosters." Usually, bodybuilders use these supplements religiously in order to support their muscle pumps during strength training. However, beetroot and other nitric oxide boosters can also enhance recovery.

If you think about it, this effect is quite intuitive. If our vascular system is dilated and able to deliver more nutrient-rich blood to exhausted and/or damaged muscles, they should recover more quickly. Indeed, previous research has shown that beetroot supplementation can accelerate recovery when compared to a placebo.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. One potential benefit to consuming amino acids is that they should be digested and absorbed more quickly than whole proteins. However, the astute reader will quickly note that additional amino acid intake is likely futile if you're consuming enough protein. Frankly, I'd agree with that statement.

Before looking to amino acids for supplementation, I'd recommend ensuring you're consuming close to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. For a 170-pound person, this would be a protein intake around 125 grams per day. If your dietary protein is lacking, amino acid supplementation may help, but its overall effects are likely no more effective than simply consuming a protein shake.

Other Recovery Techniques

While nutrition and supplement strategies can improve recovery, there are a handful of other techniques that might also be beneficial.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy refers to any type of strategy where you're cooling the target tissue. The most common methods include ice baths, cryo chambers, or even icing specific sites. Ice baths have actually been shown to enhance recovery between endurance bouts and reduce soreness following tough training, however, this effect might not be much more pronounced than general active recovery.

On the other hand, cryo chambers (whole body and partial) have a little more consistent literature to support their use for recovery. Cryo Chambers can reduce soreness via diminishing post-exercise inflammation and they appear to be more effective at this action than other forms of cryotherapy. The downside is that cryo chambers aren't quite as easy to set up as a simple ice bath. You'll likely need to find a facility with a chamber and it will definitely cost you.

Foam Rolling

Foam rollers are a common staple in just about every gym these days. These tools can be great for relieving some soreness and stiffness acutely, however, they probably don't do a whole lot in the long run. Studies show that foam rolling isn't quite as effective at hastening recovery or reducing soreness as an ice bath. I think foam rolling can be an easy and quick technique to help you warm up for a training session, however, its use in accelerating recovery is dubious at best.

Sleep

Optimizing your sleep is a fantastic method for ensuring you're promoting recovery. Remember, we recover outside the gym, and the best window for recovery is while you're sleeping. Proper sleep induces a metabolic and hormonal environment in the body that's primed for repairing muscles and preparing your body for the next bout of exercise. I suggest aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep every night; anything less might impair that metabolic and hormonal environment, and anything more is likely unnecessary and may even leave you groggier throughout the day.

Not sure how to improve your sleep? Here are a few quick tips:

1. Try to establish a sleep routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
2. Make sure your room is cool, dark, and quiet. Try to limit distractions like cell phones, TVs, or even pets if they get too rambunctious.
3. Dial down your electronics usage in the final few hours before bed. You'll have an easier time falling asleep if you haven't been staring at a bright screen. Try reading a book, writing in a journal, or doing other calming activities as you wind down.

Muscle Recovery Techniques for Athletes

• By Dr. Jacob Wilson Updated On September 30, 2022

Why Improving Your Grip Strength Can Help Overall Mobility as You Age

New research shows you need a strong grip for more than just squeezing your handlebars and brakes.

By Elizabeth Millard

    Brian Barnhart

• Weak grip strength has been linked to poorer mobility as you age, according to new research.
• Grip strength and muscle mass are related, and low muscle mass has often been associated with mobility concerns, because with less muscle comes reduced function.
• Exercises you can do to work on your grip strength include farmer’s carries, kettlebell holds, and dead hangs.

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Although maintaining endurance and intensity during rides are important as you age, new research in the journal Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics suggests there’s another major measure when it comes to mobility and longevity: how well you can grip the handlebars.

Handgrip is currently the most widely used way to identify overall muscular strength for older people, and previous research has found associations between a weak grip and negative health outcomes. For example, one study suggested it should be used as a biomarker just as much as bone mineral density for predicting risk of falls.

In the recent study, researchers looked at just over 5,700 people aged 60 and older who had handgrip strength measured with a simple device called a dynamometer, which measures the isometric strength of the hand and forearm muscles.

They compared the measurements to the participants’ reports of mobility impairment and found a strong association: Men with a handgrip of less than 32 kilograms (70 pounds) were 88 percent more likely to have mobility issues, and women with less than 21 kg (46 lbs) were 89 percent more likely to have mobility issues, regardless of other lifestyle behaviors or medical conditions.

This is because strong grip requires a certain level of muscular force. While it’s partially a measure of hand and forearm strength, it also gives a clue about muscle mass throughout the body, especially during aging when this mass starts to decline. Low muscle mass has often been associated with mobility concerns, because with less muscle comes reduced function.

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Like so many other aspects of aging, prevention is more powerful than treatment, according to the study’s co-author Tiago da Silva Alexandre, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Gerontology at the Federal University of São Carlos in Brazil. He told Bicycling that the study’s takeaway message should be that mobility loss is not an inevitable part of aging, but that once it’s lost, that mobility is very difficult to regain.

That’s why the researchers actually tweaked the methodology during the study so that those with lower handgrip strength could be identified sooner, and offered training to prevent further muscle weakness. Alexandre emphasized that people at any age should think of strength training as a must-have strategy for healthy aging.

In terms of grip strength specifically, how can you see improvements beyond simply riding more often and squeezing your handlebars and brakes? Forearm exercises. These can prevent hand fatigue, boost overall strength, and give you better ability hang onto your handlebars and, if you’re a mountain biker, shred over rocks and roots on the trail.

Exercises like a farmer’s carry, 90-degree kettlebell hold, ball squeeze, and dead hang can build strength in all three types of grip: crush, support, and pinch grip . Not only will you see potential performance gains, but it might just help you live longer, too.

Elizabeth Millard Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food. 

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Why We Bike With (Not Against) Traffic

Don't be a bike salmon.

February 10, 2020 Susan Lacke

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Many cyclists, especially those who are new to riding, feel some degree of anxiety about riding in the road. After all, in a crash between a vehicle and a bike, it’s the cyclist who is most likely to be injured or killed. It makes sense, then, that cyclists want to do whatever possible to minimize that risk, be it donning neon colors from head to toe for added visibility, seeking out less-trafficked side streets, and eschewing headphones so they can better hear their surroundings.

This usually leads to a well-intentioned question: “Why do I ride with my back to traffic?” On the surface, this is a perfectly reasonable query – after all, it could make sense that riding against the flow of traffic, instead of in the same direction, allows a cyclist to see oncoming traffic and get out of the way when needed.

But is this type of riding really safer for cyclists? In a word, no. In a study of cyclists riding on the road, cyclists traveling against the direction of vehicular flow were found to be an average of 3.6 times more likely to be in an incident than those traveling with traffic.

“Going the wrong way, against traffic, is known as ‘salmoning’ in the bike community,” says Laura Shepard of Bike New York, who explains that bike lanes flow with traffic for the safety of the cyclist, for many reasons:

You’re more likely to be seen.

When vehicles pull out of driveways or turn at an intersection, especially when making a right-hand turn, they’re most often looking in the direction traffic is already coming; rarely do they look both ways, and they’re certainly not expecting traffic in the bike lane to be coming the wrong way. Ditto for pedestrians, who look for oncoming vehicles their expected lane. In general, it’s safest to do what is expected, says Shepard: “Cyclists are typically required by law to travel in the same direction as traffic to reduce confusion for drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists. The best way to stay safe is to ride predictably.”

Drivers can respond quickly and appropriately.

If you cycle with traffic and the car behind you does not have room to pass, the driver only needs to slow down to your speed until there it’s clear to pass. Riding against traffic, however, decreases the driver’s reaction time, leaving only two choices: hit the cyclist, or drive into oncoming traffic.

It’s basic physics.

If you’re riding at 15 miles per hour when a car hits you from behind at 35 miles per hour, the speed of the cyclist reduces the approaching speed to 20 miles per hour, since both the bike and car are going in the same direction. If there’s a head-on collision at those same speeds, however, the impact happens at 50 miles per hour. The higher the impact speed, the higher the risk of injury and death for the cyclist.

Riding with traffic protects your fellow cyclists.

“Salmoning is often frowned upon because it creates a hazardous situation for cyclists traveling in the correct direction,” says Shepard. Bike lanes are narrow as it is – and when two cyclists are traveling in opposite directions, one will have to swerve into vehicular traffic to avoid a collision.

Green (and red) lights aren’t just for cars.

Traffic lights and road signs are positioned for visibility by traffic traveling in the correct direction. When riding against traffic, you may miss important information – or worse, enter an intersection at an improper (and unsafe) time.

It’s the law.

In general, cyclists tend to follow laws, not break them. One study found that less than 5% of cyclists break traffic laws while riding, compared to 66 percent of motorists; another study found that on the rare occasions cyclists do break the rules, it’s because they have no other safe option. Still, none of these stats will fly with a police officer who wants to ticket you. If you’re riding the wrong way on the road, it’s breaking the law. If you are an in a collision while riding the wrong way, you will be at fault.

What about riding on the sidewalk?

In many states, bikes are considered vehicles, which means they are not allowed on sidewalks (some areas make exceptions for children). The majority of bike laws are determined by state and local officials, not at the federal level, so it’s important to make sure you check the laws in your state, particularly if you a visitor or new resident.

However, there are many areas where bike infrastructure is absent and streets are intimidating for cyclists. Speeding, double parking, and other reckless driving behavior cause cyclists to feel unsafe and vulnerable on streets that lack dedicated, protected bike lanes.

“It’s common to see bikes on the sidewalks where these conditions persist, particularly where there are few pedestrians, says Shepard. “Most cyclists will assess the risks and make a case-by-case decision.”

For some, that may mean briefly moving to a sidewalk. However, Shepard says taking the lane is also an option to consider: “In general, the best way to stay safe is to ride confidently and predictably. When there are no bike lanes, taking the lane is often the safest strategy. This means riding in the center of a lane on either side of the street to deter drivers from attempting to pass at close range. We recommend signaling when changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping.”

Healthy Habits

Healthy Habits That Can Help You Live Longer—and

Easy Ways to Make Them Stick

    

Elizabeth Millard

 

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The question of how to live longer—and how to increase your health span, not just life span—is a centuries-old pursuit. But recent research has narrowed down some possible answers to longevity. You’ve likely already heard them: Eat nutritious foods, move more often, moderate alcohol, don’t smoke, maintain a healthy weight, and get solid sleep.

It turns out this list isn’t just for those in good health who want to spend a few more years playing pickleball and riding centuries, it’s also a powerful approach even for those with chronic conditions.

A recent study published in Age and Ageing looked at nearly 50,000 people throughout Japan during a 20-year period and found that these six habits, even when adopted later in life, were associated with longer life expectancy. That was true even with participants who had chronic diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

The biggest challenge isn’t just building these healthy habits, it’s making them stick. Fortunately, sometimes it takes only one meaningful change to gain momentum. Here are some simple tactics to help you build healthy habits that help you live longer and how to make them part of your everyday mix.

Healthy habit: eating well

Focus on: getting more fiber

Numerous studies have pointed toward plant-based eating as a way to kick up nutrition, and a large part of that has to do with fiber. On average, only 7.4 percent of U.S. adults meet the recommended daily intake of fiber, according to a study presented at the Nutrition 2021 Live online conference.

Health guidelines from the Institute of Medicine recommend eating 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories, which means that reaching that goal would involve eating about 25 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet. Here’s the good news: It really doesn’t take that long to see significant effects.

Even just two weeks of a higher-fiber diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can change your gut health in a way that helps you absorb nutrients better, according to a study in the journal mSystems. That can improve far more than your digestion, says study’s lead author, Katrine Whiteson, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at the University of California Irvine.

She tells Bicycling that better gut health can lower inflammation in the body, reduce chronic disease risk, and boost immune health. All of those outcomes can have a meaningful effect on healthy aging.

Heathy habit: move more

Focus on: making it engaging

Whether you want to establish a brand new fitness habit or you’re looking to expand what you’ve already got going, choose the same time each day to exercise to make it part of your regular routine. But here’s the hack: Every once in awhile, switch it up.

That means, swapping your 7 a.m. start time with a 7:23 a.m. start, changing the pace, route, or terrain of your ride, adding some fresh new exercises into your strength workout, or trying a brand new workout every month, like running or Pilates or a bootcamp class.

Our brains love novelty, and finding even little ways to add some into your fitness routine sets off a cascade of responses that can improve your workout. A study in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that novelty boosts perception, increases motivation, and enhances learning.

“Introducing different movements to the body provides the brain with added knowledge and keeps it interesting, which makes it easier to turn into a habit,” strength and conditioning coach Rocky Snyder, C.S.C.S., author of strength-training guide Return to Center tells Bicycling.

Healthy habit: quit smoking

Focus on: exercising to fight cravings

There are numerous recommendations for smoking cessation, from using nicotine replacement products to hypnosis. But here’s one that comes with a bigger ripple effect: Go for another ride.

Not only will this help clear your cardiorespiratory system, but research in the British Journal of Pharmacology suggests exercise (in this case, it was running) can cut down on cravings significantly. Although that study was done with mice, researchers noted that the effect is likely similar for humans. Those that went running every day showed considerably fewer withdrawal symptoms compared to a sedentary group.

According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show that even short periods of fitness, and especially aerobic exercise, can reduce the urge to smoke, with the effect lasting up to an hour after your workout.

Healthy habit: get better sleep

Focus on: your weekly hours

By now, we all know the standard advice about getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night or you’ll risk becoming sleep deprived. But what if that advice isn’t as set in stone as it appears to be?

“There’s more debate about this in the sleep research community than you might think," says W. Chris Winter, M.D., of the Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and author of The Sleep Solution. He tells Bicycling that some researchers suggest what matters is how much sleep you get weekly—not nightly—and that people tend to do best putting in around 50 to 56 hours on average.

“This makes it easier for people who might stay up late on a couple weeknights and then need to sleep longer other nights or take naps to get to that number,” he says.

Instead of focusing on a rock-solid eight hours nightly, a better approach is to track variables like daytime sleepiness and energy levels, as well as how long it takes you to fall asleep, and to count up your hours-per-week number to see if more or less is making a difference.

There’s no guarantee that putting all of these habits in place will make you live longer, but as you stack them up, you have a much better chance at living healthier.