Eating healthy foods, creating a skin care regimen, improving sleep, and incorporating exercise are effective approaches to enhance wellness at any age. But what if there were a way to also be stronger with each passing year? Achieving muscle tone through strength training is one way to make aging more enjoyable, fend off mobility challenges, and recover from injuries quickly.
It is no secret that the older a person becomes, the less muscle they retain. However, the stronger a person is, the more flexible and agile they become.
“As hormones that support muscle mass start to dwindle as we age, it becomes more important to continue strength training and encourage lean body mass and muscle tone that will naturally be lost if we don’t do anything about it,” said physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist, Dr. Joseph Powell.
Credit: Barbara Hooks
Credit: Barbara Hooks
Starting at ground zero
Strength training may sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Going to a gym and participating in activities like cross-fit training and weightlifting will get the job done. However, there are many ways to achieve the goal at home.
“I’m a big proponent of body weight-based exercise,” said Powell, who practices at Proactive Rehab Physical Therapy, Aquatic & Wellness Center in Conyers and McDonough. “Each day we do simple motions like getting out of bed, standing up from a chair, getting in and out of a car, or using our arms to push up from sitting. So, why not do motions that simulate those movements?”
Powell recommends trying chair dips to tone the upper body. Sit in a chair, place each arm on the armrest, and push up as if to stand.
Using resistance bands or free weights are easy ways to gradually begin. Resistance bands come in various colors denoting light, medium and heavy.YouTube offers videos on tai chi and yoga. Regardless of age or fitness level, it is never too late to begin.
Having a twice-weekly strength training regimen is beneficial for anyone over 50. It helps in “building up and maintaining a level of muscle strength so that you can remain physically and mentally independent,” Dr. Pamela Peeke, national spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise is Medicine initiative, told AARP.
Benefits of strength training
“Strength Training Past 50,” a book cowritten by Thomas R. Baechle and Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., notes some benefits include: increased metabolism and bone density, reduced fat, lowered blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health, and enhanced mental health.
Credit: Barbara Hooks
Credit: Barbara Hooks
“Over the years, I’ve noticed that strength training helps keep me injury-free,” runner and McDonough resident Barbara Hook said. A participant in the wellness program offered by Proactive Rehab , she attests to the benefits of physical therapy.
“I noticed that my hip was just off,” she said. “If I sat too long, if I walked, if I ran, if I didn’t do anything, it was like a twinge in my hip.”
Hook credits strength training during physical therapy for her recovery. However, it was her primary care physician who recommended ongoing strength training to enhance overall wellness. The avid runner will be 55 in April and is preparing for a 50-mile run in June.
Tips to promote strength each day from the National Insitute on Aging
Incorporating a few simple steps can help get the ball rolling:
- Get up and move frequently
- Stretch as a daily routine
- Set realistic goals
- Keep it fun!
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