Must-Do Strength Training Exercises for Women Over 50
This article by Chris Freytag explains why strength exercises are vitally important to ongoing good health.
Life goes too fast. So how would you like to slow down the aging process? No, we can’t turn back time. However, we can turn back the years on our body. Research has shown that exercise can slow down the physiological aging clock. That’s right — working out can keep you young.
And while cardiovascular exercises such as walking, jogging or biking are important for heart and lung efficiency, it is strength training that provides the benefits that keep your body younger, stronger and more functional as each year passes by.
Why Is It Important to Strength Train After 50?
According to the American Council on Exercise, “Between the ages of 30 and 80, sedentary adults can experience as much as 30 to 40 percent loss of muscular strength as a result of reduced levels of muscle mass.”
The good news is that this doesn’t have to happen! The word “sedentary” is key. Strength training is important for everyone, but after 50 it becomes more crucial than ever. It ceases to be about big biceps or flat abs but rather takes on a tone of maintaining a strong, healthy body less prone to injury and illness. The important benefits of strength training after 50 include:
- Builds muscle mass: No, this doesn’t mean you turn into the Incredible Hulk. It means that you are a solid, strong person who can lift their own groceries, push their own lawn mower and pick yourself up if you fall down.
- Builds bone density: Unexpected falls put countless older people in the hospital every year. An 8-year-old puts a cast on his arm and gets back to playing in 8 weeks. An 80-year-old isn’t quite so fortunate. The ramifications of broken bones can be devastating. Strength training can help.
- Decreases body fat: Too much body fat isn’t good for you at any age. Maintaining a healthy weight is important especially when it comes to preventing many diseases that come with aging populations.
- Lowers the risk of chronic disease: Not only will strength training help stave off many chronic diseases, but it also helps lessen the symptoms of issues you may currently have. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) recommends strength training for most older adults to help lessen the symptoms of the following chronic conditions: arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, back pain, depression.
- Improves mental health:Along with aging comes a higher rate of depression and, for many, a loss of self-confidence. Strength training has been shown to improve your general self-efficacy and can help lessen the incidence of depression.
For just 20-30 minutes a day, you can see big changes in your body age.
Our clients tend to range from 35-65 years of age but despite this age gap we are able to deliver Semi Private Sessions of no more than 6 members to accommodate each person’s limitations, be it back, shoulder or knee pain. Whatever the condition or ailment we find a way to alter the exercise to make sure that the problem isn’t exacerbated by putting strain on that muscle or joint. Rather than shying away from exercise we encourage our clients to undertake a controlled fitness journey to make sure their bodies stay strong and mobile into older age.
At Body Complete we believe in staying stronger for longer. To find out more go to ‘our services’ and look for the BCSP membership. This is designed to deliver an exercise regime for the older client looking for something different to the offerings at your ‘run of the mill’ gym.
