Our muscles support our bodies from head to toe and it is very important to keep them well fueled, hydrated, and moving. Muscles do everything from pumping blood throughout your body to helping lift heavy objects. You can control some of your muscles while others do their jobs without you thinking about them. Regardless of the type of support our muscles offer, we need to be mindful of keeping them in shape to avoid injury. See our page about Clinical Exercise.

Three Types:

Smooth Muscles can also be referred to as involuntary muscles and are typically in sheets, or layers, with one layer of muscle behind the other. Your brain and body tell these muscles what to do without thinking about it. You cannot use smooth muscles to pump iron or jump around.

Cardiac Muscles is the muscle that makes up the heart, also known as the myocardium. Just like smooth muscles, the cardiac muscle works on its own. It has a special group of cells that controls the heartbeat. The thick muscles of the heart contract to pump blood out and then relax to let the blood back in after circulating throughout the body.

Skeletal Muscles come in all different shapes and sizes. Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, meaning you can control what they do. They work with your bones to give your body power, strength, and motion.

Maintenance:

Healthy Diet – Emphasis should be on real foods, not processed. Fruits, vegetables, and proteins are important as well as healthy grains and fats.  Stay away from refined sugars and heavily salted items. The choices have a major impact on our muscles. 

Hydration – Water is always the best form of hydration. The 8×8 rule of thumb is the minimum amount of water you need to keep your body in tip-top shape. For instance, someone eating a diet of 2,000 calories per day, this adds up to 2,000 ml (roughly 64 oz), or eight 8-oz glasses of water.

Physical Activity – Get at least 60 minutes of activity per day.  This doesn’t have to be all at once; however, 10 minutes at a time would be a good recommendation.  Physical activity can include the gym and outdoor activities as well as household chores and even shopping.