Why do YOU do it?
How does physical activity and strong muscles keep me healthy?
Strength training activity builds strong muscles, helps your heart, improves your balance, and strengthens bones.1 Regular strength or resistance training helps prevent the loss of lean muscle that comes with aging.
Having strong muscles helps your sense of balance, coordination and helps you have better posture. Your sense of balance depends on the strength of the muscles that keep you on your feet, so the stronger those muscles the better your balance.1
Strength training can also help people manage chronic conditions. If you have arthritis, strength training can be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis pain, and strength training can help manage glucose control. (1)
Strength training also boosts your metabolism, meaning more muscles equals more calories burned. As a matter of fact, strength training is the exercise that keeps on giving. Both weight and resistance training build muscles that continue to burn calories after the exercise session ends.
What should I do to get started?
To begin you don’t need to invest in fancy equipment or a gym membership. You can start small and inexpensively by doing exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, squats or planks.
If you have existing health conditions you should first ask your doctor or physical therapist which exercises best meet your needs and abilities. (1)
Then you need to select 8 to 10 exercises that involve the major muscle groups of the body: the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, legs and core. Pick 2 to 3 days a week that you will exercise. Remember to have a rest day in between workouts. Then select your weights. It should be enough weight that you can do 1 set of 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. (2)
If you can easily get through the workout and don’t feel the effects the next day then you probably need to increase the amount of weight, or the number of times you repeat the exercise.
What types of strength training exercises should I do?
Here is an example of one possible strength training session using free weights:
Squats (Lower Body)
Dumbbell Chest Press (Chest)
One Arm Rows (Upper Back and Triceps)
Overhead Press (Shoulders)
Crunches (Abs)
Back Extensions (Lower Back)
What are the benefits I can expect to see?
Strength training requires very little training or expense.3 The payoffs are almost immediate and include:
Building strength
Maintaining bone density
Improving balance, coordination and mobility
Reduce your risk of falls
Maintain independence in daily life
References Cited:
1 Iliades, C., (2018). 7 Ways Strength Training Boosts Your Health and Fitness. EverydayHealth.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/add-strength-training-to-your-workout.aspx
Updated 1/30/2018. Accessed 6/8/2018.
2 Waehner, P., (2018) Strength Training Benefits and Guidelines for Seniors. Strength Training Guidelines for Seniors. verywellfit.com
https://www.verywellfit.com/strength-training-benefits-and-guidelines-for-seniors-1230954
Updated May 25, 2018. Accessed June 8, 2018.
3 Seguin, R., Epping, J., Buchner, D., Bloch, R., Nelson, M., (2002). Strength Training for Older Adults: Growing Stronger. Tufts University. Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/downloads/growing_stronger.pdf
Accessed June 8, 2018.