While aging is inevitable, aging well is not. There are many factors involved in maintaining good physical and mental health as you age, but one of the most important things to consider as you grow older is weight training. The below strength training exercises are proven to get results for women over 50.
Chris Freytag, a personal trainer who is in her 50s, knows from personal experience that exercise not only keeps you feeling and looking younger but actually physically slows down the aging process. And while exercise comes in many forms, strength training is where the true anti-aging magic happens. Strength training is one of the best types of exercises for women over 50 – it’s time to start!
Let’s explore in detail the benefits of strength training for women and some of the specific strength training exercises that Chris Freytag recommends that women over 50 do.
7 Reasons Why Is It Important to Strength Train After 50
1. Weight Training For Women Builds Lean Muscle Mass
As we get older, our bodies inevitably go through muscle loss if we’re not focused on a strength training workout regularly. Those who strength train see tighter, more toned bodies rather than getting “bulky.”
It’s a myth that weight training will make you bulk up. It will, however, help you achieve that coveted toned appearance everyone wants.
People throw around the word “toned” a lot, but what do we really mean when we say that? We mean long, lean muscles with a nice, sculpted appearance.
You achieve all of this through strength. Cardio workouts help burn calories and get your heart pumping, which is critical for your overall heart health and weight management.
But as that fat starts to melt off, you also need to strength train if you want any toned definition.
Being stronger means you can stay independent and strong for life’s daily activities such as carrying groceries, lifting grandchildren, or engaging in fun activities like golf or other sports.
Around the age of 30, we start to lose our muscle mass if not doing anything to actively replace it. As many women age, they become more sedentary, and hence, their muscles start to deteriorate. That’s why you need to start doing strength work. Building lean muscle is not only healthy, but it also looks great.
2. Weight Training For Women Builds Bone Density & Reduces Injury Risk
Muscle loss can have further consequences on bone health. Unexpected falls put countless older people in the hospital every year. In fact, according to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older Americans.
By training the muscle and connective tissue that surrounds your bones, you are making yourself stronger and helping to prevent a fall from happening in the first place. Bone density is a big deal and strength training is the best way to preserve it.
The stronger your muscles are, the less likely you’ll be to get injured during everyday tasks or workouts. How? Strong muscles protect your bones and joints when they’re in motion and make your ligaments better at absorbing the shock they endure during dynamic movements. To avoid random strains and sprains, incorporate weekly strength training into your routine.
Injury prevention is important, especially as you age—and it’s an often-overlooked benefit of building muscle.
3. Weight Training For Women Decreases Body Fat
Maintaining a healthy weight is important when it comes to preventing many diseases that come with aging. By strength training, you are able to decrease the amount of body fat, both internally and externally.
A healthy amount of fat is both good and necessary. Too much, however, is not. Strength training exercises can help with this.
4. Weight Training Speeds Up Metabolism
It’s cruel but true – as you age, your metabolism begins to slow down. One great way to revive it is by weight training. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is how many calories your body burns at rest; the more muscle you have on your body, the higher that metabolic rate is.
Essentially, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism works. Let that sink in: more muscle means a faster metabolism. When you have more muscle mass in your body, you burn more calories every day. This is why you want to get started asap.
5. Weight Training Improves Mental Health
Strength training is not just about more muscle mass. As you get older, you may go through a lot of life changes making it normal to feel sad, stressed, or uneasy about these changes. Adopting a strength training program has been shown to improve your confidence and boost your mental health. Harvard Medical School reports that exercise helps lessen the incidence and the degree of clinical depression.
6. Weight Training For Women Improves Balance, Coordination, and Mobility
Regular strengthening workouts improve your balance and coordination, which helps you do just about everything, from yoga and dance to daily tasks.
As you age, you tend to lose the overall muscle strength that allows you to balance. By lifting weights, you are not only building up muscle strength and protecting bone health, but you are also forcing your body to function in an unbalanced state, thus improving overall balance and coordination.
The concept of functional fitness is one that applies to strength work in particular—it’s the notion that you need to maintain the ability to simply do simple things and move in different ranges of motion.
Bending, lifting, balancing—all of these movements are actually very important as you age. If you can strength train, it will help you stay more coordinated and capable throughout the years.
For balance exercises, check out our guide: Balance Exercises for Seniors: You Can Improve Balance
7. Weight Training For Women Reduces The Risk of Many Diseases
According to Tufts University, strength training exercises will reduce the risks and symptoms of several health problems too, including arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain, and depression.
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