When it comes to building and preserving strong muscles, most individuals think mainly of gym routines or lifting heavy weights. However, wellness expert Luke Coutinho stresses that maintaining muscle health is a multifaceted process that is influenced by sleep, diet, regularity, and exercise. Taking to Instagram, Luke shares the six fundamental pillars that your muscles actually require, apart from the gym routine.
1. Quality Sleep, Rest and Recovery
Your muscles grow when you are at rest, not when you are lifting weights. Sleep helps the body heal tiny breaks in muscle fibres and balance hormones like testosterone and growth hormone, which are essential for building muscle. Getting enough sleep is equally important to avoid injuries and overtraining.
2. Quality Protein and Real Foods
Protein supplies the building blocks, amino acids, that are required for muscle repair and growth. A protein-rich diet should be built around lean meats, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Although supplements might be helpful, it is advisable not to use them in place of real, whole foods.
3. Supplements—If Needed
Although they are not always required, high-quality supplements like as omega-3s, creatine, or whey protein can help with performance and restoration, particularly for people with nutritional deficiencies. Selecting and making careful use of high-quality items is important, according to Luke.
4. Quality Carbohydrates
Despite their negative connotations, muscles benefit greatly from carbohydrates. Good sources include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains restore glycogen stores, enhancing exercise and speeding recovery. Insufficient carbohydrates may cause your body to use muscle as fuel.
5. Resistance Training and Progressive Overload
Challenge causes muscles to expand. Resistance training is important, whether done with weightlifting, callisthenics, or bodyweight workouts. “Whatever it is that challenges muscle, progressive overload, three to five times a week, depending on your body type and your body goals,” Luke adds.
6. Consistency is Key
What connects everything is consistency, which is maybe the most underappreciated element. In the end, Luke emphasises that even short exercise counts: “You don't have an hour for a workout, do 30 minutes. You don't have 30 minutes, do 15 minutes. You don't have 15 minutes, 10 minutes, but something is better than nothing, and consistency is your superpower,” he says.
Seeking short-term solutions is not the goal of developing stronger muscles. It all comes down to consistency, diet, training, and getting enough sleep.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
