Muscles make up 40% of our total body weight. They do everything from pumping blood to our body to helping us walk. There are around 600 muscles in our body that help us do our regular work such as lifting, chewing, running, breathing and even blinking our eyes. They also support the internal organ functions such as pumping blood for circulation. In this article, we will learn about different types of muscles in our body, their working and role.

What is Muscle
Types of Muscles
Functions of Muscles in our Body
Interesting Facts about Muscles

What is a Muscle

Muscles are soft tissue fibre that contract and relax to produce movement in our body. They are vital for our body to function properly. For example, the muscles attached to bones help in mobility. We can perform various physical activities like walking or eating with the help of our muscles. There are different types of muscles in our body that also support the internal organ functions such as breathing, blood circulation and digestion. We will learn about all these types of muscles and their function in the next section.

Types of Muscles

There are three main types of muscles in our body that help us perform various functions:

Skeletal Muscles: These are the types of muscles attached to our bones with the help of tough cords called tendons. Skeletal muscles are the most common types of muscles present all over our body such as in legs, arms, face, back and neck. These are voluntary muscles that we can consciously control to move our bodies.

Involuntary Muscles: These are the smooth muscles found inside the walls of our internal organs such as liver, intestines and bladder. For example, when we eat food the muscles in our stomach wall churn to digest food. The muscles in our eye control the size of the pupil. These muscles work automatically and we cannot control or stop them.

Cardiac Muscles: These types of muscles are found in our heart. It generates the rhythmic, wave-like contraction that pumps the blood in our body. Similar to smooth muscle, these muscles also work involuntarily.

Functions of Muscles in our Body

Muscles perform various functions in our body and are highly important for our survival. Here are some of the major functions of muscles in our body beyond mobility:

Blood Circulation: Cardiac muscles in our heart pump blood throughout our body.
Digestion: Muscles in the stomach and intestines help in digesting food by pushing it through the digestive system.
Posture: Ourmuscles maintain posture by supporting our spine to keep it straight and upright.
Facial Expressions: Muscles in our face help us in smiling, blinking and in showing various emotions.

How to Grow Muscles

Eating right and exercising are two important ways to grow our muscles. Protein-rich foods such as eggs, dal, milk, paneer, chicken and fish are the building blocks of our muscles. By eating all these we can gain muscle mass and grow stronger.

Regular physical activities such as running, swimming, cycling and sports maintain the flexibility of our muscles and make them stronger. Even simple activities like climbing stairs and walking help maintain muscle health.

Interesting Facts about Muscles

The heart is the strongest muscle in our body. The wall of the heart is made of cardiac muscle tissues.
Skeletal muscles always work in pairs. When one muscle contracts, the opposite muscle relaxes. For example, when you bend your arm, the biceps contract and the triceps relax.
Shivering due to cold is the result of rapid contraction of our muscles to generate body heat.
Stapedius is the smallest muscle inside our ear which is 1.2mm long.