4 Important Benefits of Strength Training for Over 50s
Here are 4 reasons why strength training in your 50s and older is one of the best things you can do for healthy aging and your wellbeing!
1) Stronger muscles
Having enough strength is one of the most crucial parts for remaining physically independent and healthy. Stronger muscles make activities of daily living easier and less tiring. Things like walking up stairs, carrying groceries, lifting a grandchild, getting up from the floor, pulling open a heavy door are all things that need strong and healthy muscles.
Strong muscles are also crucial for our balance and stability. If we don’t have the strength to catch ourselves when we trip or stumble, we risk getting injured. Strength training is a great way to reduce risk of frailty and injury. Studies show that a 4-12 week strength training program can improve muscle strength by almost 20% and muscle power by over 25%!
2) Build muscle mass
When we enter our 50s, the natural process of muscle loss begins to speed up. By the time we’re in our 70s, we can lose up to 30% of our muscle. Muscle loss with age increases risk of frailty and metabolic conditions like high blood sugar or low bone density.
Strength training is the most effective way to hold onto your muscle and even build muscle that wasn’t there before. One study even showed an improvement in muscle mass in people aged over 85 years old who did a strength training program!
3) Blood sugar control
Our muscles are like storage units for carbohydrates (sugars). When we eat carbohydrates, our digestive system breaks them down into sugars and sends them into our blood vessels to be used by the body for energy. When there is left over blood sugar in that hasn’t been needed for energy, our body’s preference is to store the left over blood sugar in our muscle for energy later on.
However, as we age we naturally lose muscle mass. Over time there will be less muscle for our body to store blood sugar. When this happens, excess blood sugar can stay around in our blood vessels. If sugar stays in our circulation for too long it starts to cause problems for our cardiovascular health. In extreme cases, this can lead to pre-diabetes or type II diabetes.
Strength training is one of the best ways to use up sugar stores in our muscles to make room for more sugars to be stored. Strength training also builds more muscle, giving the body more space to store excess blood sugar. Studies show that regular strength training is a great way to control blood sugar levels for older adults.
4) Less stress on joints
Stronger muscles help take stress off joints by absorbing and redistributing force during movements like walking, lifting and carrying things. Muscles also help to stabilise joints. Weaker muscles do a poor job at stabilising joints which can lead to joint pain from excessive strain or pressure on them.
Let’s think of a knee joint and the thigh muscles. The thigh muscles stabilise the knee joint and reduce the amount of pressure being put on the area during activities like walking or dancing. Stronger leg muscles help increase knee joint stability and protect the knee from excessive pressure. One study found that a 12 week leg strength training program helped improve clinical pain and physical function measures in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
This blog post is brought to you by Community Fit Over 50s. If you’re over the age of 50 and want to start exercising for your health and wellbeing, contact us by following the link below.
