You’ve likely encountered numerous discussions about the significance of strength training as you age. Although our bodies naturally lose muscle mass as we age, engaging in strength training can be a powerful tool for controlling our health, mobility, and strength.
If you’re curious about the empowering benefits of strength training as you age or why you should start incorporating it into your fitness program, read on to learn more.
Increased Muscle Mass
As mentioned, muscle mass can start to recover in the 30s and 40s, but by your 70s, you could lose up to 12% of your muscle mass. If you want to avoid this, strength training can help you reduce any losses and build up muscles to help support your body and fitness levels now and well into old age, providing a sense of security about your future health. There are supplements you can take when exercising to help you boost muscle mass and improve results from strength training, such as creatine, or you can explore ostarine solution supplements, too.
Improved Mobility
It’s a common misconception that weight training hinders mobility, but that’s not the case. In fact, engaging in various weightlifting exercises and movements can enhance your mobility, leading to a profound sense of achievement. For instance, goblet squats can significantly improve mobility for sitting and standing as you age. Similarly, deadlifts can help maintain mobility for lifting objects and enhance grip strength, while overhead weightlifting can support you in raising your hands, lifting items, and holding them comfortably.
Increased Bone Strength
Studies have found that weight lifting and strength training can drastically reduce the chances of osteoporosis and bone density loss, which occurs as we age. Aerobic weightlifting and strength training put stress on your bones. In response to this stress, they build more bone and biome density, which is precisely what we need later in life.
Reduced Chronic Illnesses and Health Conditions
Everyone knows that inactivity is a killer, and by strength training, you give your body the movement it needs in a beneficial way. The movement and exercise from strength training can help lower risk factors and help with symptoms from many illnesses, too. For example, strength training eases pain with arthritis by strengthening the joints and protecting them from fresher damage. Plus, activity can boost heart health and reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and many other health conditions.
Boosted Brain Health
Everyone knows that exercise increases endorphins, and endorphins can boost your mood and your brain health. The more you train your body, the more your brain will get a good workout, too. From developing the correct form to that instant gratification of completing a workout, strength training isn’t just for physical brawn and benefits. It’s imperative for your mental health, too. Strength training and any type of exercise can help you to slow cognitive decline and conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
Weightlifting can have many benefits at any age. Still, as we age and our bodies slowly change, it can be even more beneficial to start strength training or add it to your current exercise schedule to support your body and stay in the best health possible.
