Muscle tone is usually seen as firm, defined muscles creating a leaner, smoother appearance by revealing the muscle beneath the fat.

Decreased muscle tone and strength can occur with aging due to lack of physical activity, known as sarcopenia, but can also occur when an illness or injury results in a lack of mobility leading to muscle atrophy (degeneration).

In addition to having a sagging butt, bingo wings or an overall ‘floppy’ appearance, low muscle tone carries with it many associated risks. As it is usually more significant in the lower extremities, it can lead to a loss of balance and ability to walk, resulting in a greater risk of falls and other injuries. When you lose muscle, your strength and energy levels also decrease, and as muscle burns calories your metabolism slows as well. Additionally, if you lose muscle without reducing your caloric intake, you will inevitably gain fat, which burns fewer calories. This ends up being a vicious cycle of less activity, muscle loss, fat gain and around it goes.

Improved muscle tone and strength is not just to help you stay younger and healthier, or to get washboard abs, a tight body with a firm perky butt, it is also the goal of many athletes, both male and female, who want to increase their performance.

Thankfully muscle tone can be improved at any age with a variety of strategies. The most effective being resistance training and weight bearing exercise in addition to getting adequate amounts of protein. If exercise is a problem due to lack of mobility, injury, time or other factors, there are now very effective ways to train specific muscles without physical activity. (see EM-LIFT below).