There's a difference between getting older, and feeling "old". Ones not optional, but the other is. I’m not shy to admit that I was never a gym rat. That might seem strange to those of you who know me or have worked with me in the gym, because I’m pretty passionate about strength training. I think every single person should participate in a weekly strength routine –and, as my poor, pestered husband will acknowledge, I’m definitely not shy to tell you that.
And for good reason–many good reasons actually.
You might think strength training means hours in the gym pumping iron, getting big and bulky, talking like a bulging, Austrian bodybuilder, and that’s just not for you. But physical strength is relative; it’s also entirely dependent on your body and your personal goals.
Maybe it does mean breaking that personal bench press record…or maybe it means the ability to get up and down off the floor without fear when you’re 70, 80, 90, even 100. Maybe it means pushing yourself to the limit in a marathon…or just running through the sprinklers with the grandkids on a scorching summer afternoon instead of watching them giggle and squeal from the sidelines. Maybe you just want to get through your workday without all of those nagging aches and pains stealing your energy, so that you can come home to your family and give them your best.
No matter how young or old you are, no matter your fitness level or goals, you can benefit from a personalized strength training routine. Strong muscles are vital for a healthy, resilient life. Everything we do daily, from putting the dishes away to sitting down and rising from a chair to walking down the block requires strength. And if we don’t maintain what we have, let alone bolster our stores, we’ll lose it before we even know what’s happened.
According to Harvard Medical School, adults who don’t participate in a consistent strength training program are vulnerable to losing an average of 4 to 6 pounds of muscle per decade.
Have you or someone you know ever broken a bone? What did you see when the doctor cut away the cast that immobilized your tissues for eight weeks? In just a couple of months, that pale, casted limb shrank to half the size of the other, the muscles having atrophied. And it likely took some work to get that function back.
Our bodies were built to move in a million ways: to bend, twist, push, pull, lift, jump, leap, bound, roll, and everything in between. When we move and load our bodies in different ways, not only do we change our muscles–we change every last bit of ourselves, right down to the cellular level.
When we don’t move and challenge our bodies, when we spend our days doing little more than moving from chair to chair to chair, (or perhaps, more insidiously, when we devote ourselves to a single activity, such as running or cycling, that locks us into a one primary movement pattern without little to no deviation) we are effectively casting ourselves. Over time, the strength we lose in that “cast” makes everyday activities harder.
With no intervention, things as simple as crossing a parking lot into a restaurant, carrying a bag groceries into the house, standing long enough to cook dinner, walking the dog, pulling weeds from the flower beds, showering, or even pulling a shirt over your head by yourself, become a minefield of potential injuries and fall risks; these tasks may just become impossible.
It also becomes harder to recover from illness, injury, and surgery. Loss of muscle mass can lead to dangerous falls, which may result in disability, even death.
I really hate to be the harbinger of doom over here. My clients will tell you I’m normally a ray of sunshine! So instead, let’s shift gears and talk about the numerous benefits of strength training instead. These include:
Increased muscle mass
Increased bone mineral density, halting osteoporosis and potentially reversing osteopenia
Better posture and stronger postural muscles to combat the constant effects of gravity and modern life
Better mobility and flexibility
Healthier joints
Reduced risk of low-grade, inflammation-related, chronic diseases
Better balance/reduced chance of falls
Improved heart health and circulation
Better blood sugar control
Reduced visceral fat
More energy
Boosted mood!
Decreased depression and anxiety
Increased self-esteem
Overall improved quality of life.
The list goes on and on. No wonder I’m a fan.
The bottom line: strength and resistance training positively influences every single cell in your body, making your muscles and bones stronger, increasing your endurance, staving off chronic disease, and making daily life and the activities you love easier and more enjoyable. It also makes it increasingly likely that you’ll be doing those activities 10, 15, 20+ years from now.
So where should you start? I recommend–and many healthcare professionals do as well–that all adults add two or more sessions of strength training exercises to their weekly list of to-dos.
If you have a body, then you’ve got everything you need to begin. Go light and slow, with about 30 minutes of bodyweight moves like squats, wall pushups, and lunges, step ups, and single leg balance exercises twice per week and work your way up to 60 minutes. Maybe add in some resistance bands or free weights too.
If that’s too much, just start with 10 minutes, or maybe even just 10 chair squats. The most important thing is that you start. Today. And then do it again tomorrow.
-Coach Kait Christopherson
Grand Junction Fitness Trainer