Light walking is notenough to preserve muscle tone, bone health, balance, and posture. If you’re not engaging in strength training, chances are you’ll become increasingly less functional with age.
Strength training becomes more important with age
It has many benefits, and is an essential element if you want to prevent weakening of your bones (osteoporosis), age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), limited range of motion, aches and pains. Strength training also increases your body’s production of growth factors, some of which also promote the survival of neurons, which helps explain why working your muscles also benefits your brain and helps prevent dementia.
It should be an integral part of a well-rounded exercise program, and is recommended for both sexes of all ages—especially adults.
It’s important to realize that by the time you’re in your 70s, your muscle strength and tone will have declined by roughly 25 percent from what you had in your mid-30s. You’ll lose up to 50 percent once you approach your 90s.
Something worthwhile noting is that in seniors who take up strength training, the genes’ clocks can be turned back by as much as a decade!
Turn Up the Intensity by Slowing It Down...
Current research is showing that super-slow weight training may have superior benefits, and may also be a more suitable form of high intensity exercise for older individuals.
It is much safer and more effective than conventional strength training as it actively prevents you from accidentally harming your joints or suffering repetitive use injury.
Research shows that, no matter your age, you stand to gain significant improvements in strength, range of motion, balance, bone density, and mental clarity through strength training. It’s never too late.
But clearly, the sooner you start, the better.
When it comes to bone and muscle strength, it’s clearly a lot harder to regain what you’ve lost than maintain what you’ve already got.
