As each birthday passes, many sedentary people find themselves losing the ability to perform tasks they once took for granted. Older adults are finding a regular fitness program including strength training has allowed them to continue enjoying physical activities as well as maintain a healthy, functional body. Men and women of any age can benefit from strength training. Strength training has been shown to help with ailments including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, obesity and muscle-skeletal issues.
Muscle Loss
It is well documented that unless you regularly engage in activities which involve weight bearing exercise such as strength training, you could lose about a half a pound of muscle every year in your 30s and 40s and almost double that rate for every decade over 50! As you lose muscle, you lose strength which can compromise your ability to carry out daily tasks such as carrying the groceries from the car to the house, going up and down stairs, gardening etc. Your resting metabolism will also drop. This means your body's ability to utilize and burn calories at rest will be compromised. This translates into more body fat stored. This further translates into possible additional health issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The good news is, that all of this can be reversed by increasing lean muscle tissue by including regular weight bearing exercise 2-3 sessions each week. It doesn't matter if you start strength training at 25 or 85 years old, you will receive health benefits!
14 great reasons to "pick things up and put them down".
Maintain your independence as you get older
Improve your quality of life, allowing you to do the things you enjoy with less effort
Strengthen and preserve your muscle tissue
Strengthen your bones
Reduce your risk of falling
Improve control of blood sugar
Increase your metabolism
Improve your body composition to less fat and more muscle
Reduce your resting blood pressure
Speed up the rate at which food moves through your digestive system, reducing risk of colon cancer
Reduce your risk of low back injury
Elevate your mood and your self-confidence
Relieve pain from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Enhance recovery from stroke or heart attack
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend strength training on two or more days a week with exercises that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). I recommend consulting a Certified Personal Trainer before beginning a strength training program. They can develop a program specific to your needs and any pre-existing medical conditions you may have. They can demonstrate proper form and technique to minimize the chance of developing an injury or muscle imbalance.
*Information compiled from ace.org.
**Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program to ensure you are able to participate in a program.