The Importance of Strength Training as We Age
As we grow older, we naturally begin to lose bone density and muscle mass. More often than not, the 24 hours that we all share gets busier and busier. Sometimes that means we become more sedentary. The muscle that we might have held onto in our 20s, 30s, and even 40s slowly disappears as a result of being less active. This shouldn’t mean that it’s game over. It is important to understand that decreases in bone density means that the bones themselves are thinner and more fragile. A hard fall becomes more susceptible to a broken bone. We don’t want that! We want to maintain strong bones and balance.
What Is Strength Training?
Strength training is a style of exercise that is dedicated to increasing the weight lifted, or repetitions done, on any given movement. It is important to remember that the more you treat this approach as a lifestyle, the greater the results and the more enjoyable the journey can be. Dive into any strength training program to improve your bone density and stability.
Changes In Muscle & Strength With Age
It’s no secret that, biologically, humans lose muscle over the course of their life. Naturally, we get more involved in our careers or family life, or both. It becomes more difficult to manage our time the same way that we used to; which means less time at the gym, or jumping in on a cardio based class once in a while. Any form of exercise is useful. Cardio is great for cardiovascular health. But it is important to also give attention to maintaining some musculature and strong bones.
The Benefits Of Strength Training
Not only is strength training important for maintaining muscle mass and increasing bone density, but there are many other benefits. These include improved body composition, glucose management, inflammation reduction, injury prevention, and more. Check out our previous blog: The Benefits of Strength Training.
How To Get Started With Strength Training
There are many ways to get started. A simple youtube search for ‘strength training programs’ will lead you to almost everything you may need. There are plenty of qualified coaches out there that go into detail, what exercises to do, how many sets and repetitions, and so on. The templates are there for you to follow.
We also want to make sure that you are properly executing these exercises. The program breakdowns are important, but not as important as correct form. Again, you can follow some youtube videos to gain an understanding of each exercise, that might be enough. But don’t hesitate to search strength training gyms in your area; I’m sure there’s at least one. In the presence of a strength coach, you can get immediate feedback and hands-on coaching to ensure that you are heading in the right direction.
Final Thoughts On Strength Training As We Age
Here at Thor Strength, we believe that it is our mission to show others that strength training is vital for overall health and injury prevention. There is a safe way to train and the benefits are endless. Moreover, strength training can be fun. Pick a few exercises that you would like to focus on and train. If things plateau or become boring, change it up!
