Today’s post written by Coach Cindy!

Strength Training for All Ages

For most of my early adult life I had always been consistently active, choosing ‘cardio’ as a way to control my weight. As a married woman with 2 children and a job, I never dreaded getting a workout in, and in fact, I  found myself looking more and more forward to my time at the gym. It was ME time!

Typically my gym workouts consisted of 45 minutes to an hour on the treadmill, stairclimber or whatever machine was available. I’d finish up with a few crunches and I did a few stretches. Cardio? Check. Abs? Check. Stretching? Check. Occasionally, if I had time to spare, I would breeze through the weight room for a set of lat pulldowns and on a really long training day I might have even squeezed in a few bicep curls. I never went too crazy in the weight room because strength training was just for bodybuilders and professional athletes. You know that, right? 😉

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One day, I found myself faced with a diagnosis of a potentially terminal disease. I was in treatment for a year. Some days I literally didn’t even have the energy to get out of bed, but as time went on I started to feel better and finally got the doctor’s OK to resume normal activities.

Thrilled to be back at the gym, I went right back to the cardio-based workouts that had always worked for me in the past. However, instead of dropping the weight I’d gained and feeling more energized, I gained more weight and always felt exhausted.

I was frustrated because my old plan wasn’t working. In fact, I got so frustrated and felt so helpless, I took a leap of faith and decided to try something I had never done before. That’s right, I started strength training. Slowly, but surely, the extra weight started to disappear. I lost inches where I had never been able to before and best of all my energy was at an all time high!

Instead of avoiding the weight room, I spent the majority of my workout time there.

You’ve likely heard that sometime between age 30 and 40 we all begin to lose muscle unless we are consistently working to build it. People with sedentary lifestyles can lose up to 1% of their lean muscle mass in just a year!

Along with this muscle loss, many people typically gain weight, experience joint pain and may discover a whole host of other undesirable side effects. Cardio-based workouts are great for heart and lung health, but this type of exercise doesn’t build or help you maintain muscle mass.

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Participating in a structured strength program will help you discover a healthy and fit lifestyle that includes:

  • Better balance and flexibility
  • Fewer injuries and faster recovery
  • Increased bone density
  • Weight control
  • Improved sleep quality
  • Healthy state of mind

“If you’re not using it, you’re losing it!”

There is mounting evidence that both men and women, of all ages and fitness levels, greatly benefit from a safe and effective strength training program. Strength training can help relieve symptoms of some diseases and chronic conditions, boost your energy levels and help you become more independent and stronger! Learning proper lifting skills will make everyday chores easier and activities more fun. Who doesn’t want that???

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As a grandmother to three amazing grandchildren, I want to stay active and feel my best for as long as possible to be able to play and watch them grow.

Takeaway

It’s never too late to start strength training! You can still reap the benefits of strength training at any age! Find a great personal trainer or group training program where you can learn to lift weights safely and effectively.

Skill of Strength offers a Fundamentals class for beginners who are fed up and ready to try something new. This is a slower-paced class than our MOVE adult group training classes and you’ll receive lots of one-on-one attention from your coach. It’s a perfect fit if you are looking to begin strength training or if you’ve been away from the gym for awhile. Learn to lift in a comfortable and safe environment with a coach who “gets it.”

To learn more, please email Contact us. We’d love to hear from you!