Ways to Reverse Muscle Atrophy/Wasting: Best At-Home Exercises

03 May Ways to Reverse Muscle Atrophy/Wasting: Best At-Home Exercises

If you are an athlete and don’t know how to reverse muscle atrophy, it can get quite problematic.

You must have witnessed, after a few weeks of inactivity, your muscles lose strength and mass. 

Moreover, while losing muscle mass and strength is a common phenomenon in the elderly, it has other causes as well.

Muscle atrophy also happens because of injury, disease, surgery, and inactivity. 

Thankfully, there are numerous ways to treat muscle atrophy. 

However, before we indulge ourselves in how to reverse muscle wasting, let’s know what does muscle atrophy mean in the first place. 

What is Muscle Atrophy?

Muscle atrophy can be described as the wasting of muscles. It is a medical condition in which muscles lose tissues and start to get weak. 

To further explain, when muscle protein synthesis in your cells is less than the protein degradation, muscle atrophy takes place. 

Hence, if you’re witnessing the loss of muscle bulkiness and decline in strength, it could be muscle atrophy. 

In Detail: Signs You are Losing Muscle Loss

The main concern is—Prolonged muscle atrophy can be life-threatening. 

However, depending on the causes of muscle atrophy, there are varied answers on how do you reverse muscle atrophy.

How to Reverse Muscle Atrophy? [6 Ways]

The answer lies in its causes and type. 

To clearly define, in order to know how to reverse muscle atrophy in legs, buttocks, or any other body part, first try to look for its causes. 

In most cases, inactivity is the primary reason for muscle loss. 

If that’s the case, muscle atrophy can be reversed with proper exercise. 

However, if the cause of muscle wasting is some underlying health issue, it may require a suitable muscle atrophy treatment.

All things considered, here’s how to reverse muscle atrophy. Try:

#1. Isometric Exercises

#2. Resistance Exercises

#3. Weightlifting Exercises

#4. Team Sports

#5. Diet And Nutrition

#6. Medical Treatments (if nothing else works)

It’s now time to discuss these in detail.

Indulge in Isometric Exercises to Reverse Muscle Atrophy

Isometric exercises are the best to rebuild atrophied muscles. 

But what are isometric exercises and how does it help in reversing muscle atrophy?

Those exercises that help you target the muscles without any movement are isometric exercises. 

Also known as static strength training, these exercises create a contraction in the targeted muscles for an extended period of time. 

This way isometric exercises increase muscle strength. As a result, there’s a significant improvement in muscle atrophy.

Isometric Exercises To Increase Muscle Strength

Some of the isometric exercises that come to mind are:

#1. Plank

• Start on all your fours.
• From head to heels, keep your body straight.
• Keep your hands aligned.
• Prepare your core to handle the body weight and balance the position.
• Lift your body up and stay in the position for as long as you can. 

#2. Wall Sit

• Stand with your back on the wall. 
• Keep your feet at hip-width apart.
• Slide down and form 90 degrees with your hips and knees. 
• Keep your body from shoulders to hip in contact with the wall.
• Join your hands in front of the chest.
• Hold this position until you feel the burn.

#3. Isometric Push Up

• Get on all your fours
• Keep your body straight
• Align your hands a little wider from your shoulders
• Bend your elbows diagonally from your torso
• Lower your body until the elbows are 90 degrees
• Maintain this position for as long as you can

#4. Low Squat

• Stand with your feet hip-shoulder width apart. 
• Keep your toes pointed and hands on your side.
• Maintain a straight back and bend your knees.
• Push your hips back and flare your arms in front. 
• Lower your body as much as possible and try to maintain the position for as long as you can.

#5. Calf Raise Hold

• Stand in front of a wall. 
• Raise your toes and stand on your toes (touch the wall for support). 
• Once you are at the highest stretch, hold the position for one minute.
• Slowly come back. 
• After getting used to it, you can gradually increase the holding duration. 

After isometric exercises, you can also do resistance training to reverse the muscle atrophy. 

Rely on Resistance Exercises to Reverse Muscle Atrophy

You can do resistance exercises with a resistance band, weight, or pull against gravity. 

But how can you reverse atrophy of muscle with resistance training?

The basic explanation follows…

Resistance exercises create tension in the muscle fibers and sends signals to improve muscle strength. 

These exercises stimulate the production of muscle growth hormones and help to reverse muscle atrophy. 

According to research published in the journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, resistance training accompanied with properly timed ingestion of protein promotes muscle hypertrophy. This way it is a highly effective strategy to treat chronic muscle wasting.

Resistance Exercises to Reverse Muscle Atrophy

Some of the exercises to increase the strength and bulkiness of muscles are:

#1. Straight Leg Raises

• Lay down on your back.
• Bend one of your leg from knee.
• Keep your other leg straight. Tighten its quad muscles and pull it off from the ground. 
• Keep it parallel to your thighs. Hold the position for 5 seconds. 
• Now, take your leg down until it almost touches the ground. 
• Don’t let your back sway away from the floor. 
• Repeat it 20 times and then switch the leg. 

#2. Leg Adduction

• Lay on the ground sideways.
• Now bend the above leg from the knee and place it before the bottom knee. 
• Now lift your body up but don’t let your trunk bend. 
• Engage your core and try to feel it inside your lower leg. 
• Repeat it 10 times before switching the side. 

#3. Bicycle Crunches

• Lie down on your back. 
• Put your hands behind your head.
• Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. 
• Start peddling and try to touch your right knee with your left elbow, then touch your left knee with your right elbow. 
• Do it 15 times. 

#4. Lunges

• Stand Straight.
• Take your right leg forward, bend it, and shift your body weight towards it. 
• Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. 
• Press on the heel and go back to the starting position. 
• Switch the legs and repeat it 10 times. 

#5. Chin-Ups

• Grab a pull-up bar in a way that your palms are facing you. 
• Keep your arms shoulder-width apart.
• Now pull your chest upward until your chin is above the bar. Meanwhile, engage your core and back. 
• Slowly, lower yourself and get back to the starting position. 

Apart from resistance exercises, you can also try weightlifting exercises to rebuild the atrophied muscles. 

Work with Weight Lifting Exercises to Reverse Muscle Wasting

Weight lifting exercises are a great way to build muscles. 

It can be performed using free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells or weight machines. 

It’s among the most recommended training to build muscles and increase strength as well. 

Moreover, if the reason behind your muscle wasting is a lack of mobility, weight lifting exercises can be of great help.

Adding to it, even if you’re losing muscle because of age, i.e., sarcopenia, you can rely on weight lifting exercises to bring back your muscle definition. 

All you have to do is use the appropriate weight, do the required reps, and follow the right techniques. 

For this, you can try taking help of the professionals. 

Weight Lifting Exercises To Reverse Muscle Atrophy

Some of the weight lifting exercises to reverse muscle loss are:

#1. Chest Press

• To start with, lie on a bench and floor with a dumbbell in each hand. 
• Keep your elbows straight to the shoulder. 
• Avoid putting stress on your shoulder. 
• Bring your chin slightly closer to your chest. 
• Now, while you exhale, lift the weight away from you. 
• Be careful to not lock your elbows and perform it slowly. 
• Now, as you inhale, bring back the weight and contract your muscles. 
• Repeat it at least 10 times. 

#2. Back Squat

• Stand under the racked barbell. 
• Stand in a way that the barbell lies behind your head and rest on your traps. 
• Now grab the bar with both hands just outside your shoulder width. 
• Un-rack it carefully. 
• Now, take one step back at a time and stand with feet hip-width apart. 
• Keep your toes pointed outwards, take a deep breath, and take your elbows towards the ground. 
• Sit down in the squat position. 
• Carefully, go only as low as you can. 
• Now stand straight back, meanwhile locking the knees. 

#3. Overhead Press

• Hold the barbell at your collar bone. 
• Put your hands shoulder-width apart and place your feet right below your hips. 
• Passing it close to your face, press the bar and hold up. 
• After it crosses your forehead, press it slightly back so that it ends at the top of your neck. 
• Now carefully and slowly, bring back the bar down near your collar bone. 
• Repeat it only as much as you can do comfortably. 

#4. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

• Stand in a split stance position. 
• Bend your torso forward but keep your back straight. 
• Put one hand on the bench or box to support the weight. 
• Hold a dumbbell and swing it right under your elbow. 
• Now pull it towards your hip and lower it down to the starting position. 
• Repeat and finish all the reps before you switch sides. 

#5. Bench Press

• Lie back on the bench with feet on the floor. 
• Grab the bar with hands shoulder-width apart. 
• Keep your eyes under the bar. 
• Now unrack it and hold it over your chest. 
• Lower the bar and bring it just above your chest. 
• Now, drive the bar straight up again. 
• Repeat it 5 times. 

Exercises like weightlifting, resistance, and isometric are a great way to reverse muscle atrophy. 

However, if you’re not into extreme exercising, you can try team sports to increase the intensity. 

To emphasize, you can reduce the number of exercises or simply try isometric exercises and accompany it with sports.

So, what sports can reverse muscle atrophy?

Support Muscle Rebuilding with Team Sports

It is a widely accepted fact that playing sports, especially outdoor and team sports, is the best way to stay young. 

Outdoor sports are, in a way, complete body exercises that, of course, include exercising your brain as well. 

According to a report, a study conducted in 2017, analyzed the impact of team sports and protein intake on inactive older adults. 

Participants played floorball for 20 minutes twice a week for 12 weeks. Adding to it, after every session, they also consumed 18 grams of protein. 

In the end, the study depicted more than a pound of muscle mass gain in the legs. 

Also, after the end of the study, most of the older adults continued to play soccer-like games. 

Clearly, if you feel concerned about how to reduce muscle loss in legs and buttocks, you can try team sports. 

Getting a step ahead, if you aren’t afraid of injuries, you can try soccer, hockey, and other team sports. 

It is also, however, true that you need to take care of your diet in order to provide proper nutrition to your muscles.

Decide Your Diet to Fight Muscle Atrophy

In case you don’t know, one of the more common causes of muscle atrophy is poor diet. 

So, if you’re malnourished, your body is only able to use nutrients to keep the vital organs well and alive. 

Hence, in this process, muscle-building gets to a halt. As a result, there is a loss of muscle mass and strength. 

Besides, if you have muscle atrophy because of surgery, diet has a vital role to play. 

With that said, if your body lacks essential macronutrients and micronutrients, it gets tough to not only increase but even maintain muscle mass. 

So, what foods help muscle atrophy?

There are 3 basic types of foods that you need to supplement your cells and tissues with in order to reverse muscle atrophy. 

#1. Foods Rich in Vitamin D

Supplementation of vitamin D is linked with improved bone density, better muscle strength, and increased muscle mass. 

Hence, you need to add foods enriched with vitamin D to reverse muscle wasting. 

For instance, you can add:

• Cod-liver oil
• Swordfish
• Mushrooms
• Sardines
• Beef liver

#2. Foods Rich In Protein

Does protein prevent muscle atrophy?

Well, yes! Proteins are quite literally the building blocks of muscles.  

One would hardly question the inclusion of protein in reversing muscle atrophy. 

Notably, merely the lack of this macronutrient can also give rise to muscle atrophy. 

Hence, it’s vital to include enough protein in your diet to get over the effects of muscle loss. 

Some of the protein-rich foods that you can add to your plate are:

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Chicken
• Greek Yogurt
• Tuna
• Salad
• Almonds

#3. Foods-Rich In Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fish oils tops the list of sources of omega-3 fatty acids. 

According to proven results in a research, women who did strength training and consumed fish oil showed significant improvement in muscle strength. 

Also, muscles are driven by nerves, and omega -3 fatty acids are also great for cognitive function. 

Therefore, adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet can be beneficial. 

Moreover, while you can get plenty of omega-3 supplements, foods are always the best and the safest option. 

Some of the omega-3 fatty foods that you can add to your diet are:

• Oysters
• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Flax Seeds
• Chia Seeds

Most of the time, majority of the health issues are due to lack of nutrition. 

In this case, also, lack of enough nutrients is one of the causes of muscle atrophy. 

Hence, with proper supplementation of required nutrients, one can easily reverse muscle atrophy. 

These were some of the natural ways to reverse muscle atrophy. 

Nonetheless, if exercise and diet don’t seem to be fruitful, the next effective solution would be muscle wasting medications. 

Muscle Atrophy Treatments

Treatment of muscle atrophy depends on the type of muscle atrophy you are dealing with. 

The solutions range from simple physical therapy to surgeries. 

Here, we have compiled the 3 most common ways to treat muscle atrophy. 

#1. Physical Therapy

Simple therapy exercises can increase the mobility of the muscles. 

It also stimulates muscle strength and improves blood circulation. 

There are many chiropractors that can help you with physical therapy exercises. 

However, you can start doing physical therapy exercises at home as well. 

Some of the physical therapy exercises to do at home are:

• Stretching
• Sit down, stand up
• Heel Raise
• Bridge Exercises

You can also try some water exercises like:

• Walk around the pool
• Knee lifts in the pool

These are some of the to-do at-home physical therapy exercises to reverse muscle atrophy. 

It is, however, recommended to do any physical therapy under the complete guidance of a trainer. 

#2. Electrical Stimulation

To simply understand, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is the electric shock to muscles. 

This process treats muscle atrophy by giving minor shocks to the weak muscles. 

Furthermore, during this procedure, electrodes are attached to the muscles. 

The electric shock triggers the muscles and reverses the muscle wasting. 

According to research, neuromuscular electrical stimulation was identified to treat muscle impairment. 

Four electronic databases were identified to search for relevant literature. The data extracted recommended optimal stimulation parameters and techniques to treat muscle impairments. 

These impairments were because of:

• stroke
• knee osteoarthritis
• anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction 
• patellofemoral pain syndrome
• total knee arthroplasty. 

However, if nothing works, the last answer to how to reverse muscle atrophy is SURGERY.

#3. Surgery

In the case of injury or neuromuscular impairment, where the patient starts to experience muscle atrophy, surgery is the last resort. 

Adding to it, even severe cases of malnourishment also calls for surgical treatment for muscle atrophy. 

You might also get recommended to go through surgery if you have contracture due to muscle atrophy. 

So, now you may want to know how long does it take to reverse muscle atrophy?

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Muscle Atrophy?

The time it takes to reverse muscle wasting entirely depends on the type of muscle atrophy. 

Also, the treatment used to reverse muscle atrophy has a lot to contribute. 

Adding to it, the severeness of the muscle loss condition can also determine the speed of the recovery. 

To explain, muscle atrophy treatment with exercises and diet may take a little longer as compared to surgery. 

Nevertheless, in any case, it will not happen overnight, and you have to support the treatment with proper nutrition. 

Reversing muscle atrophy might seem quite challenging. 

So, the next question you may have is—can you prevent muscle atrophy in the first place?

Let’s find out. 

Can You Prevent Muscle Atrophy?

There are numerous causes of muscle atrophy. 

While you can’t control all the injuries, you can definitely keep a check on your vitamin requirement. 

Also, if you’re prone to muscle wasting due to immobility, you can make efforts to prevent muscle atrophy. 

Some of the common ways to prevent muscle wasting are:

• Get Moving
• Protein Supplement
• Enough Sleep

Here’s how you can achieve each 0f these to stop muscle atrophy in its tracks. 

#1. Get Your Body Moving

Immobility is the primary cause of muscle atrophy in young adults. Hence, keeping your body active can be the best possible solution. 

Considering that, you can practice yoga, daily walking, and simple stretching. 

Apart from that, doing basic household chores by yourself can also be of great help in keeping your muscles and bones active. 

#2. Try Protein Supplement

Protein is of utmost help when it comes to preventing muscle atrophy. 

You can either try fulfilling the protein requirements through food or you can simply try protein supplements. 

There are numerous health supplement brands that have come up with protein shakes. 

However, before you add it to your diet, it is strictly recommended to ask your health care provider or nutritionist.

#3. Get Enough Sleep

To increase muscle mass, people may work out without proper rest and leave their muscles exhausted. 

As a result, this leads to muscle atrophy in place of muscle hypertrophy. 

Therefore, proper sleep after a proper workout can help you reverse muscle atrophy. 

Muscle wasting is often not a serious condition until it is triggered because of an injury or surgery. 

If you stay attentive and take the necessary steps, not only can you prevent but also reverse muscle atrophy.

Final Thoughts

Losing muscle is natural with age. 

However, if that’s not the case with you, you need to be a little more careful. 

Be it muscle atrophy because of age, immobility, malnutrition, or injury, you can overcome it. 

Now that know how to reverse muscle atrophy, all you have to do is look at the reasons behind the muscle loss and treat it accordingly. 

You know the drill right!

Exercise>Eat Healthy>Sleep

If this doesn’t show improvements, book an appointment with your physician. 

I hope this blog helped you find the answers you were looking for. 

If you liked it, don’t forget to share your views in the comments section and heart the blog right below.

ALSO READ: Legal Steroids for Muscle Growth