Why Muscle Tissue Is a Non Negotiable For Better Health
Muscle is often viewed through the lens of strength or appearance — but it’s far more important than that. Muscle tissue is an active, essential organ system that plays a critical role in how well your body functions, how you age, and how resilient you are to illness, injury, and stress.
In fact, maintaining muscle may be one of the most powerful things you can do for your long-term health and independence and here’s why it’s worth building and hanging onto for as long as possible!
What Your Muscle Tissue is Really Doing Behind The Scenes
Regulates Blood Sugar – Muscle tissue acts like a sponge for glucose. It helps clear sugar from the bloodstream and store it for future energy needs — which plays a major role in blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. The more muscle tissue you have the larger your glucose storage site is.
Protects Against Injury and Frailty – As we age, muscle becomes critical for balance, coordination, and strength. Maintaining it helps reduce the risk of falls, fractures, and the downward spiral of frailty that leads to loss of independence in older adults.
Supports Metabolism – Muscle is metabolically active tissue — the more you have, the more energy your body burns at rest. This helps regulate weight, manage body composition, and keep your metabolism healthy and responsive.
Boosts Longevity – Research consistently links greater muscle mass and strength with lower risk of chronic disease, hospitalisation, and mortality. Simply put: strong people tend to live longer and with better quality of life.
Improves Joint Health and Posture – Muscles provide the support and stability your joints rely on. Without sufficient muscle mass, joints can become overloaded or misaligned, leading to pain, wear-and-tear, and reduced mobility.
Supports Immune System and Recovery – During illness or injury, your body draws on amino acids stored in muscle tissue to fuel healing and immune function. If you don’t have enough muscle, recovery becomes slower and more difficult.
Reduces Back Pain and Improves Core Stability – Strong core and postural muscles help support your spine, reduce pressure on the lower back, and promote proper alignment during everyday movements. Building muscle in these areas can significantly reduce the risk of back pain and improve overall mobility and comfort.
Boosts Mood and Mental Health – Movement builds muscle, and muscle supports movement. Together, they reduce stress, lift mood, and improve cognitive function — creating a strong mind-body connection that supports emotional well-being.
How to Build and Maintain Muscle
Building and maintaining muscle doesn’t have to mean becoming a bodybuilder — it just means giving your body the stimulus and nutrition it needs to stay strong, resilient, and well-functioning over time. And that comes down to two essential pillars: adequate protein intake and consistent strength training.
🥩 Eat Enough Protein
Protein provides the amino acids your body needs to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. Without enough of it, your body won’t be able to maintain — let alone grow — the muscle mass that protects and supports your health.
Aim for around 2.0g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on your activity level, age, and health status. Spread it across your meals, and include high-quality sources like eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, fish, tofu, legumes, and protein supplements if needed.
🏋️♀️ Strength Train At Least Twice Per Week
To signal your body to hold onto — or build — muscle, you need to use it regularly. That means challenging your muscles through resistance or strength-based training at least two times per week. You can start with bodyweight exercises and gradually progress by increasing the challenge over time — what matters most is consistency and steady progression.
🛑 The Silent Threat: Sarcopenia
Sarcopenia — the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength — starts earlier than most people realise, often beginning as early as your 30s. If left unaddressed, it can lead to reduced mobility, poor balance, increased frailty, and a higher risk of injury, illness, and hospitalisation.
Over time, sarcopenia can quietly strip away independence, making everyday tasks harder and increasing the likelihood of preventable conditions like type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
But here’s the good news: sarcopenia is both preventable and, depending on your age, reversible with the right strength training and nutrition. Maintaining and building muscle is one of the most powerful defences we have — and a key to aging well with strength, stability, and quality of life.
Muscle isn’t just about strength or appearance — it’s a cornerstone of your health, energy, and independence. From blood sugar regulation and metabolism to posture, recovery, and resilience, your muscle tissue is working hard behind the scenes to keep your body functioning well — and the more you support it, the more it supports you.
The best part? You don’t need to do anything extreme. With consistent strength training, adequate protein, and a focus on staying active and intentional, you can build and maintain the muscle your body needs to thrive — now and in the decades to come.
Real health starts with strength. And strength starts with your habits.
Start small. Stay consistent. Your future self will thank you.