Ever wonder why experts urge us to lift weights?
Strength training gets so much more important as we age because we lose muscle. The loss begins as early as in our late 30s or early 40s; after age 40 the average woman starts losing about ½ pound of muscle per year – even more if she does not actively use her muscles.
So what’s the big deal? A lot. If you don’t replace the muscle you lose, you’ll increase the body fat percentage in your body. Gaining muscle has its perks: as you gain it, your body burns calories more efficiently.
But strength is not just about being leaner or strong enough to lift groceries and open heavy doors—it’s about health. Loss of muscle mass affects balance, coordination and the ability to do simple things like get up out of a chair and even open a jar. Strength training can increase your bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It helps strengthen your heart and control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.
Some research points out that regular strength training even sharpens your focus and memory.
We’re all getting older – and with that comes taking responsibility for our health. I look at it this way: there’s a choice. Yes, choosing to stay strong takes some work, but the payoffs are huge. It’s absolutely possible to stem the loss that comes with age by both building and preserving your muscles.
Besides, I’ll have to admit… it feels good to look in the mirror and have a little muscle showing. It’s empowering, in a way.
Well stated, Sheryl! Having researched this area myself, I know that experts working in the field of aging agree that of all lifestyle factors – including nutrition, stress managment and adequate rest – exercise, and specifically strength training, is the key factor. It helps keep us independent, self-reliant and at a high level of functioning.
Thanks for your reply, Joan. There’s so much we need to do to stay at a high level of functioning…but it all pays off, doesn’t it?
Is using your own body weight enough for strength training? I have built a lot of muscle in yoga and Pilates but am wondering if I need weights also.
Brette, that’s an excellent question. Stay tuned – I’ve contacted someone in the field, and hope to have an answer for you soon!
Brette, I reached out to Joan Pagano, who is an expert on the topic. Here’s what she said:
Bodyweight exercises do develop strength in the muscles, and as long as they are weight bearing (as in yoga) or working against resistance (as on the Pilates equipment), they are beneficial to the bones as well. However, there’s a limit to how much resistance your bodyweight offers, so adding weights can increase the overload to build more strength. Also, while the benefit of yoga is that it works multiple muscle groups in an integrated fashion (the way we use them in real life), you can generally isolate or target a particular muscle better with weights (e.g. the triceps, which is a typical trouble spot for women).
Brette asked the question I would have. I love yoga and pilates and loathe weights. Is there no hope for me?
You make such an important point about preserving muscle strength! Thanks for the reminder.
I absolutely love my strength training class. I find that I work out harder when I’m in a class versus training on my own. It’s something I hope to keep up as I age.
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