Building Your Strength as You Age
By Donna Stark
Strength. No matter what form it comes in, it’s an enviable quality, wouldn’t you say? Don’t we admire those who show strength during tough times, who have strength in their faith, who exhibit strength at the gym? Well, as we age, our strength may come and go, it may vary throughout the different aspects of our life depending on our circumstances, and that’s OK. But if you want to continue living an active, independent lifestyle, there is one part of your life that you definitely want to preserve as much of your strength as you can.
Strength Training for Seniors
You may not be spending as much time anymore as you did when you were younger, flexing in front of the mirror, but the truth is that strengthening your muscles now is just as important as before, if not more. That’s because muscles tend to weaken with age, and this decline can have serious implications for seniors. Fortunately, you have a say in the matter and can reverse that trend with strength training. Check out the incredible health benefits that will come as a result of working out and lifting weights.
- Flexibility and strength - Allows you to function at higher levels in all areas of your life, helps to keep you safe with your daily tasks, and reduces your risk of falls or other injuries
- Weight loss -Increases your metabolism, which leads to a decrease in body fat
- Joint care - Prevents joint injuries and degeneration by strengthening your tendons and ligaments
- Bone density/mass - Helps to prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone density
- Blood pressure - Reduces your resting blood pressure
- Low back pain - Alleviates low back pain by increasing the back’s strength
- Arthritis pain - Reduces the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Chronic diseases - Reduces the symptoms of depression, heart disease, diabetes, and sleep disorders
- Social life - Offers a chance to nourish relationships and be with others
- Physical appearance - Increases your self-esteem by enhancing your physical appearance
Strength training is crucial for people of all ages in order to be as healthy as possible, but it’s even more vital for our senior population. It’s never too late to start and is actually quite easy to begin, so what’s stopping you? It’s something that only needs to be done a couple times a week, but by doing so, the health benefits will last a lifetime.
So grab a friend, or make new ones, and start your training as soon as possible. You may not end up looking like you did when you were that young adult flexing in the bathroom, but who cares? Strength doesn’t come from a mirror.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Temecula, Calif.