The Importance of Strength Training Later in Life
As you know, dear Luce Fitters, we have developed a Movers 50+ classes for lovely ladies over the age of 50 years. While we all know that exercise is important for all life stages, I am going to explain the risks associated with over 50s – but don’t worry, I will cover the benefits of exercise specifically for this age group too and why you should encourage yourself (if you’re over 50) or someone who’s 50+ around you to move their body!
During the post-menopausal stages of life, the reduction of oestrogen leads to decreased muscle mass, strength and bone density and an increase in body fat which can all lead to an increased risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes. As you can guess, all these things lead to a poorer quality of life – which is what we don’t want! Moving your body on a regular basis can reduce the risk of all these things which means you can be travelling the world and doing handstands into your late 90s (maybe?!).
While moving your body at all stages of life is going to lower the risk of many chronic illnesses, a common condition in women over the age of 50 is osteoporosis. Osteo-per-what-is, you ask? Let me explain.
Osteoporosis is a reduction in bone density causing bones to become fragile and weak, it increases the risk of falls and breaks in an individual which can lead to poor health outcomes and hospitalisation, and as it affects 23% of Australian women over the age of 50, it’s important to reduce the risk of the disease. The main treatment being? You guessed it… EXERCISE! Specifically, strength/resistance training to strengthen muscles, joints, and bones to prevent falls and breaks.
So, what kind of exercise is strength/resistance training? Sounds intense…
No, you don’t have to be a body builder or Olympic lifter to spice up your life with strength training. It can be as simple as using your body weight to increase strength, incorporating weights, or doing a low impact Pilates class! All this movement will help the body to maintain muscle, range of motion and strengthen joints which is great for your physical wellbeing (obviously), coordination, mobility and don’t forget the social side of it!
Lucy Sloan.
Certificate IV in Fitness
Bachelor of Health & Rehab Science
References
1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). Estimating the prevalence of osteoporosis in Australia. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/estimating-the-prevalence-of-osteoporosis-in-austr/summary