THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTH TRAINING AS WE AGE

22 January 2023

Use it or lose it!

You may have heard this phrase before, but the meaning behind it is incredibly important as we age. During these modern days where we have TV's, Cars, Mobile Phones and much more.... it can make it very easy to live a sedentary lifestyle! This overall means we move less and sit more. Our bodies were made to move, which means the more active we can be, the less problems we may face when we are older.

Sarcopenia 

What is Sarcopenia? - Sarcopenia is an involuntary loss of skeletal muscle & strength as we age. 

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This can start to happen at the age of just 30-35 years old! As we carry on ageing, the rate of this decline increases. So having the mindset of " This wont affect me, I've got plenty of time to start following some sort of fitness programme" is far from correct. 

Maintaining mobility throughout life is key to having a strong body and to maintain independence in our later years of life. Losing Muscle Mass & Strength within our bodies plays a massive part in losing mobility, which overall makes everyday activities a lot more challenging. 

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So How Do We Stop This From Happening?

As Sarcopenia is a natural process that happens when we age, it can't be completely stopped.

Although, here is the good news! By following a structured and regular resistance training programme, we can BUILD and maintain muscle and strength to counteract this process.  

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Lately Strength training is becoming more popular and there is a lot more recognition for it. Not only will strength training build muscle mass and strength but it can also help with controlling your body weight. What is one of the top things you think about when you want to lose a few pounds? Cardio! Yes this can be a great tool to burn calories, although as you start to lose weight, the likelihood of losing muscle mass increases. Muscles are metabolically active which simply means they require energy (calories) to maintain. This means if you start to lose muscle tissue your metabolism will slow. The same goes the other way, as you build more muscle mass, your metabolism rises. 

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There are many benefits to strength training but in this little article we explain what happens when we age and why we need to incorporate strength training into our lives. 

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If you want to start learning more about resistance training and follow a structured exercise programme then please get in touch.

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