I am sharing my love of Weight/resistance training.
I have been weight/resistance training for 35 years and never get sick of it.
I always challenge myself to do my best.
Weight/resistance training is just one of the ways that I keep myself fit and healthy.
I especially wish to share what has made a difference to me personally during my menopause. Both before, during, and now post-menopause.
I was into fitness before I took up weight/resistance training, but before I was 29, I was into Aerobics, netball, squash, and circuit training.
It was after I had my daughters that I decided to get a fitness program and I start lifting weights. I have been doing it ever since. I noticed a change in my body shape straight away. What I loved about weight training is that you can work at your own pace and if you work hard, you can increase the weights that you work with and continue to see improvement.
You can also suit yourself when you go to the gym, this was especially helpful when my daughters were young.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF
WEIGHT/STRENGTH/RESISTANCE TRAINING AS WE AGE.
As we age, we lose a lot of our bone density and can be prone to Osteoporosis. There is a direct link between the lack of estrogen after menopause and the development of osteoporosis. The good news is that there are ways that we can keep our bones healthy and strong.
Weight-bearing exercise is very important and helps to prevent bone loss. Aging has been associated with changes in body composition and weight. In general, as women age, lean muscle mass decreases while fat mass accumulates. Part of this change is due to the natural change in your metabolism as we age. Another significant factor is lifestyle.
Women tend to become less physically active as they pass from their 40’s into their 50’s. A decrease in physical activity means fewer calories burned, When fewer calories are burned this leads to increased weight, fat mass, and muscle mass loss, if the same calories are consumed. There is a need to adjust the caloric intake to compensate for the reduced metabolism.
The same principles apply to post-menopause as they do at any age. You can’t forget your fitness level just because you are aging.
Strength training increases muscle mass and quality of muscle mass and helps balance your hormones like your estrogen levels. The more muscle mass we have the more our metabolism increases.
Now more than ever is the time to counteract that loss of muscle mass to prevent a slowdown of that metabolic rate.
We should aim for strength/resistance training exercises at least two times per week to get the maximum benefit. If you have never done this type of program before then consult with a fitness professional to help you get started.
If you have any health concerns or are on any medication for high blood pressure or sugar diabetes always have a check with your doctor and get a clearance.
Most times a doctor will be very happy that you are starting a program to improve your health, but a check-up is always wise if you have any concerns.
Here are 8 fantastic reasons to Weight training at any age.
Strength/weight training increases your physical work capacity.
Strength/weight training improves your ability to perform activities of daily living. We will be able to work harder and longer with the proper weight training activities.
Strength/weight training improves bone density.
Strength/weight training promotes fat-free body mass with decreasing sarcopenia.
Strength/weight training increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles, and tendons.
Strength/weight training helps to improve motor performance and decreases injury risk.
Strength/weight training improves your quality of life as we gain body confidence.
Strength/weight training will not only make you strong but will also help with managing your weight.
If you are new to weight training, I always recommend that you do 8-10 exercises to cover your whole body. I recommend that you follow this program for 5-6 weeks while you build your foundation and get stronger. When you are more experienced you can get more specific and break up your body into sections.
The benefit of this is that if you weight train 2 or 3 times a week you can rest some body parts while you work others.
The reason for this is that you can start to go heavier with your weights while some of your body parts are recovering from the last session.
If you would like to know more about anything that I have discussed today I would be happy to discuss it further with you. Contact me at wendyjoy.net.au
A photo of me at WAM personal training at Vesper Drive, Narre Warren about 13 years ago.
This week WAM Personal training was sold 10 years ago.