Why do Seniors need to be strong? How do I go about getting strong? If I have lost my strength, can I get it back? Good questions. In today’s article I will strive to answer those questions.
So, why do Seniors Need to be Strong?
Basically, your quality of life depends on your ability to be independent, to be able to lift groceries and put them away, to get on and off the couch (to stand up and sit down). You need to be able to prevent a fall, and if you do start to fall, to be able to recover without injuring yourself. You should be able to walk for extended distances, climb stairs, pick things up off the floor and many other things essential to a good quality of life.
Getting older takes a toll on your body unless you take action to stay strong. You lose muscle mass, y0u lose bone density, your blood circulation is impaired, your lung capacity decreases, your metabolism slows and you can’t convert food to energy as efficiently. You become frail, stooped and often move with a shuffling gait.
Studies show that your legs are usually the first to go. Why? Those same studies indicate that you sit more as a senior than younger people, even though you are not sitting at a desk or table as often. You don’t get up and down as much and your legs don’t get the benefit. You don’t move around as much as your younger brothers and sisters. Your mostly sedentary.
So how do you prevent these things from happening to your body?
One way is to include strength training as part of your exercise routine. Strength training is a sure way to prevent losing muscle and bone mass as you get older. It is the only way to regain muscle and bone mass if you have already started to decline. Yes, you can regain both muscle mass and improve bone density through strength training. Tufts University did a number of well known studies a number of years ago demonstrating that you could regain both muscle strength and size, as well as increase bone density through strength training. They used men and women from their sixties to a few in their nineties as subjects in the studies.
So in just a few short sentences, how do you begin a strength training program?
NOTE: Before you start any exercise program, make sure you see your doctor to make sure it is safe for you. Don’t neglect this step.
You pick up some light dumbbells or some exercise bands at a big box store (Target, Walmart) or Amazon.com. I would suggest exercise bands to start with. You can purchase them in packages of three or four with varied resistances. Start slow and easy; just two or three days a week is all you need. You will increase the resistance over time.
What kinds of exercises? You can find plenty of upper and lower body exercises with both weights and bands online. Most exercises can be done at any age as long as you start slowly and easily, using minimum resistance at first. Increase the resistance each week. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your strength increases. You should even see some increase in your muscle size — not a lot, but some. If you experience sharp pain, stop and get it checked out. Expect some muscle soreness when you first start.
As for your legs, simply getting up off the couch a few times is a good start. Do it without using your hands and your legs will get a workout. Get a simple chair and stand up and sit down ten times in a row. After a few days of those, do the same movement without the chair and try to go a little deeper. In fitness circles, those are called “squats”, one of the best of all leg exercises. If it’s too hard on you knees to go deeper, then stick with the chair. Try rising up on your toes a few times too. That will work your lower legs. But careful, too many will cause a bit of an ache in your calf muscles.
So that’s strength training? It’s simply working your muscles through physical resistance. You can use weights (dumbbells,etc), resistance bands (tubes or wide bands), the weight of your own body through calisthenic style exercises, or pitting one muscle against another (isometrics). The best is probably a combination of all of those. I do them all, but I carry resistance bands with me when I travel. They’re easy to pack and don’t take up much space.
You can get stronger at any age. Once you start including strength exercises, you should see and feel results quickly. Don’t overdo it, but do it. Your body will look, feel, and function younger and you’ll be glad you started. Remember to start with baby steps and ease your body and mind into it. Give it a try – once you see and feel the results, you won’t want to stop.
Thank you for reading.