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If you are reading this, there is a chance you’ve reached your half century and are now officially in the over-fifty age group. There is a good chance you’ve already noticed that some of your youthful athleticism that you once took for granted has begun to wane at least to some degree. It might be that you’ve already started to look into ways of holding back that part of the ageing process and have considered joining the gym, but what should you do with your time there? Jump on a x-trainer, join a spin class, take up yoga?
In this blog, I’m going to try and make the case for weight training, at least as a priority, and its potential benefits to us and how they might impact on our lives. We all acknowledge the inevitable passage of time, and as we progress in age, it becomes increasingly vital for us to take control of our physical health as Mother Nature starts to take less interest in our wellbeing. This includes a gradual reduction in our strength and power, which in part is down to a gradual decrease in muscle mass. With this in mind, weight training emerges as a key component of maintaining that muscle mass as well as bone density, and overall well-being. One of the primary concerns with ageing is the gradual loss of muscle mass, known as sarcopenia. Weight training, involving progressive resistance exercise, can effectively counteract this decline by stimulating muscle growth. The increased muscle mass not only contributes to enhanced strength and functionality but also plays a pivotal role in supporting metabolism. Metabolism tends to slow down with age, often resulting in weight gain. Engaging in regular weight training sessions can help mitigate this effect by boosting metabolic rate. We often focus our training and dietary interventions on reducing body fat, which is very important, but this can often lead to neglecting the kind of exercise that leads to being undermuscled, which can make mundane activities of daily living, such as carrying the shopping more challenging, and other tasks no longer feasible at all. Furthermore, weight training has proven to be beneficial for bone health, a concern particularly relevant to older individuals who might be more susceptible to osteoporosis and fractures. Weight-bearing exercises exert stress on the bones, prompting them to adapt and become denser. This adaptive process contributes to improved bone mineral density and overall skeletal strength. We often think of weight training as targeting our muscles in isolation, but the truth is that the whole musculoskeletal system. Bones, joints and connective tissue all benefits from regular strength training. Weight training also has a positive impact on metabolic health that has historically been considered to be a benefit exclusive to aerobic exercise. It helps regulate insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, which are crucial factors in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, weight training contributes to improved cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure and enhancing lipid profiles. Typically, people have favored aerobic exercise such as jogging and cycling as they get older in an attempt to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, but now it looks like those kinds of benefits are more or less common to any regular exercise. With that in mind, it starts to make sense that we do more weight training, which has the additional benefits already mentioned. If you get can many of the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise but with the additional benefits of being stronger and better able to perform activities of daily living, it starts to look like a no brainer. The mental health benefits of weight training should not be overlooked. Engaging in regular exercise has been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, which can become more prevalent with age. Weight training provides a structured and goal-oriented form of physical activity that can have a positive impact on mood and cognitive function. The caveat here is that there is no “one size fits all” approach to mental health. If you feel like you have mental health concerns, I highly recommend seeking out help from a qualified professional rather than a fitness professional. Weight training also appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease as well as reducing Alzheimer’s associated behavioural issues. In summary, weight training holds numerous advantages for individuals over fifty, grounded in scientific research. Summary of benefits:
With all that in mind, you’ll probably be wondering how and where to get started. Here’s my step by step guide:
Before I sign off, there’s one last piece of advice I would like to try and impart, and that is don’t be scared! Weight training is incredibly safe. In terms of injuries per hours of activity, weight training is far better than activities like running. The key thing is to lift within your capabilities, allow your body to rest and recover and fuel that process and you’ll get stronger and more resilient over time. Tune in for the next instalment which will cover getting started in more depth.
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