Your body is made of a lot of things and so it is important to know how it works for you to set specific goals. If you are about to hit the gym, chances are, you wanna know how your body reacts to certain exercises, how can you gain or lose the muscle mass, or how can you measure it. However, not everyone knows how to measure it accurately. There are other challenges too that leads to difference in accurate measurement, including age, gender, and fitness level. Before we get onto measuring it, let us first understand what muscle mass really is?

Lean Body Mass vs Muscle Mass

Lean body mass and body fat are the two primary components of your body. Although the terms "muscle mass" and "lean body mass" are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not the same.

Bones, muscles, and bodily fluids make up lean body mass. The precise phrase used to characterize the size of your muscles is muscular mass, which comprises:

• The skeletal muscle
• Smooth muscle
• The heart's muscle

Skeletal muscle, which is essential for movement, balance, and general bodily functions, is what most people mean when they talk about muscle mass.

Comparison of Low and High Muscle Mass

Individual differences exist in muscle mass. Your age, genetics, and amount of activity can all affect how much muscle mass you have. It is possible for someone to have a lot of muscular mass and little body fat, or the opposite. It is important to remember that muscle mass and body fat do not always match.

Muscle Mass Percentage: Findings from the Study

Muscle mass is hard to measure accurately. The Journal of Applied Physiology published the most reliable study on muscle mass percentages in 2000. In order to calculate the average muscle mass percentages by age group, the study examined the muscle mass of 468 men and women.

Muscle Mass Percentage Averages

For Men

18–35 years: 40–44%

36–55 years: 36–40%

56–75 years: 32–35%

76–85 years: Less than 31%

For Women

18–35 years: 31–33%

36–55 years: 29–31%

56–75 years: 27–30%

76–85 years: Less than 26%

While these numbers provide a general guideline, individual muscle mass varies based on factors such as height, ethnicity, and fitness levels.

How to Estimate Your Muscle Mass

Measuring exact muscle mass requires expensive medical imaging, but there are several estimation methods:

1. Using Body Fat Percentage

One way to estimate muscle mass is by determining lean body mass percentage using body fat scales. These devices use bioelectrical impedance, sending a current through your body to estimate fat percentage.

To find your lean body mass percentage:

100 - body fat percentage = lean body mass percentage

For example, if someone has 30% body fat, their lean body mass is 70%. However, this method is not always accurate, as it estimates total lean mass rather than muscle mass alone.

2. U.S. Military Formula

The U.S. military uses circumference measurements to estimate body composition.

Men measure: Abdominal and neck circumferences

Women measure: Waist, hip, and neck circumferences

These values are compared to a chart to estimate body fat percentage and, subsequently, lean body mass percentage. However, this method does not account for muscle size.

3. MRI: The Most Accurate Method

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for measuring muscle mass. It provides a precise image of muscle distribution, but it is costly and not practical for routine measurement.

Benefits of High Muscle Mass

Reduces age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), which typically begins at age 30.

Boosts metabolism, as muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.

Increases longevity, with research showing a link between muscle mass and longer life expectancy.

Downsides of High Muscle Mass

Finding well-fitting clothes may be difficult.

Higher calorie intake is needed, which can be inconvenient.

Some people report reduced flexibility or agility with excessive muscle mass.

While fun, big weekends can sometimes lead to an unwelcome surprise on Monday morning: nagging body aches and stiffness. It's easy to overexert ourselves, whether it's from a long hike, dancing the night away, or even just spending more time on our feet than usual.

This extra effort can leave our muscles feeling tight and sore, making it tough to even roll out of bed. However, you do not need to worry much, stretching is a fantastic way to gently help your body back to comfort. By lengthening tight muscles and improving blood flow, stretches can help relieve that post-weekend body pain and get you moving more freely.

Important Stretches To Re-energize Your Body

Even just 10-20 minutes of stretching each day can work wonders for your body and mind, helping you feel brand new. This short daily practice can significantly improve your flexibility, making everyday movements easier and more comfortable. Beyond the physical benefits, stretching is a fantastic stress reliever, calming your mind and promoting a sense of well-being. Here are some you should try.

Neck Stretches

These stretches help loosen up the very top of your shoulders and neck. Stand with your feet apart and arms relaxed. Gently tilt your head to the side, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat 3 times on each side.

Shoulder Rolls

This is an easy way to stretch your shoulders and release tension. Stand with feet apart. Breathe in and lift your shoulders up towards your ears. Roll them back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Breathe out and drop your shoulders down. Repeat this movement 10 times.

Pendulum Stretch

This gentle stretch uses gravity to improve shoulder movement. Stand and lean forward, supporting yourself with one hand on a table. Let your other arm hang freely. Gently swing it in small circles for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then reverse direction. Repeat with the other arm.

Cross-Body Arm Swings

These swings help warm up your shoulder joint and increase its movement. Stand with feet apart. Swing your arms out to the sides, then gently cross them in front of your body, alternating which arm is on top. Keep your arms straight. Do this 10 times.

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

This stretch helps loosen the back of your shoulder. Stretch one arm straight across your body. Use your other forearm to gently pull the stretched arm further, feeling it in the back of your shoulder. Hold for 20 seconds, then switch arms.

Child’s Pose

This is a gentle yoga pose that helps stretch the back of your shoulders. Kneel on the floor with knees apart and big toes touching. Sit back on your heels as you lean forward, reaching your arms out in front. Breathe deeply and hold for a minute or more.

Ragdoll Pose

This forward-bending yoga pose can help release tension in your shoulders and neck. Stand with feet apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward, letting your head hang heavy. Hold onto your opposite elbows. Stay in this relaxed pose for at least one minute.

Eagle Arm Stretch

This stretch helps make your shoulders more flexible. Stand with feet apart. Cross one arm under the other in front of you, bending your elbows. Try to bring your palms together, or hold the backs of your hands. Take a few deep breaths, then switch arms.

Working long hours, sitting at a desk and prolonged hours in front of laptops can do a number on their backs. With these jobs becoming more common, corporate job workers have normalized back pain, neck pain, and other lifestyle issues. To tackle these issues, one can try yoga and not just any type of yoga, desk-top yoga.

Desk-Top Yoga Poses You Can Try

Desk yoga is a great way to combat the physical and mental effects of sitting for too long, especially for office workers. It involves gentle stretches and poses done at your desk, like seated twists, shoulder rolls, and forward bends, that can relieve tension and improve focus. These exercises can help you strengthen your back, as well as ensure you are not straining yourself more than you are supposed to.

Seated Cat-Cow Stretch

This well-known yoga move is excellent for waking up your spine and making it more flexible. It helps loosen your back muscles, which often get stiff from sitting. By gently arching and rounding your spine, you can bring more movement and comfort to your whole back.

Seated Spinal Twist

This easy twist is perfect for releasing tightness in the middle of your back. It helps your spine move better, easing any stiffness from long hours at your desk. Doing this stretch regularly can improve your posture and reduce general back discomfort.

Desk Pec Stretch

Spending a lot of time hunched over a keyboard can make your chest muscles feel tight. This stretch helps to open up your chest, countering that rounded posture. It's great for improving your overall alignment and making you feel less constricted in your upper body.

Seated Side Bend

This simple pose targets the sides of your body, effectively relieving tension in your side muscles and upper back. It helps to lengthen your torso and can reduce stiffness that builds up from sitting still. This stretch provides a nice release for your entire side body.

Seated Figure-Four Stretch

This stretch is fantastic for opening up your hips, an area that often gets tight from sitting. Tight hips can contribute to lower back pain, so this pose helps to relieve that pressure. It brings relief to your lower back by addressing hip stiffness.

Wrist and Finger Stretches

Even though these stretches aren't directly for your back, keeping your wrists and hands healthy is very important. Tension in these areas can easily travel up your arms to your neck and upper back, causing discomfort. Regularly stretching them can prevent this radiating tension.

Neck Stretches

Looking at computer screens all day often leads to stiffness in your neck and upper back. This stretch helps to relieve that common tension in your neck. By slowly tilting your head, you can loosen tight neck muscles and reduce strain from holding your head in one position.

Standing Forward Fold (with chair support)

This pose is a good way to decompress your spine and stretch your hamstrings, which can get tight from sitting. Using your desk for support makes it accessible and safe. It helps to lengthen your back and provides a refreshing stretch for your entire body.

Interval Walking Training (IWT), often referred to as “Japanese walking,” offers a safe and sustainable way to improve your fitness without stepping into a gym. Developed by Japanese researchers to target cardiometabolic health in older adults, IWT blends short bursts of brisk walking with periods of slower recovery walks — making it an ideal choice for people across age groups and fitness levels.

What Sets Interval Walking Apart?

Unlike traditional walking, which is usually done at a steady pace, IWT alternates between fast and slow intervals. The recommended protocol involves five sets of 3 minutes of brisk walking followed by 3 minutes of slower walking, totaling 30 minutes of exercise. This is typically done five days a week.

What makes IWT stand out is its ability to deliver significant improvements in physical and metabolic health markers without the strain often associated with high-intensity workouts like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). While HIIT focuses on intense bursts of activity and is popular for its efficiency, it can be too demanding or injury-prone for some, particularly beginners or older adults. IWT, in contrast, keeps the intensity manageable while still pushing the body enough to trigger measurable benefits.

The Evidence Behind the Benefits

The benefits of IWT are well-documented. A 2009 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings tested the approach on over 200 adults with an average age of 63. The results were promising: participants experienced notable improvements in blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose levels, aerobic capacity, and muscle strength. Importantly, these health gains were achieved without overtaxing the body, making IWT a realistic and maintainable option.

Adherence was also high—more than 95% of the participants stuck with the program throughout the study, suggesting that it’s not just effective but sustainable. This is particularly relevant given how often people abandon overly strenuous fitness programs.

A more recent 2024 review also reinforced these findings. The review confirmed that IWT benefits both healthy individuals and those with metabolic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Compared to continuous walking, it was found to be more effective in improving physical fitness, body composition, and glycemic control.

Starting Small and Building Consistency

One of the best parts about IWT is its adaptability. You don’t need to be an athlete to start. In fact, beginning at a comfortable pace is encouraged. Experts recommend a gradual approach: start with shorter intervals of brisk walking — even 20–30 seconds — followed by a few minutes of slower walking. Over time, as your endurance improves, you can increase the intensity or duration of the brisk segments.

To get the most out of IWT, certain practical tips can make a difference:

• Set realistic goals. Even 15–20 minutes is a good start.
• Monitor your intensity. If you’re breathless but still able to talk in short phrases during the fast intervals, you’re likely in the right zone.
• Choose proper footwear. Comfort is key for consistency.
• Listen to your body. If you feel dizzy or in pain, slow down.
• Track your progress. Whether through a fitness app or simple journaling, tracking helps you stay motivated.

IWT offers a balance between challenge and accessibility, making it an excellent long-term strategy for better health — one step at a time.