If the answer to this question is “Yes,” it’s time to re-think your fitness routine. Baby Boomers and seniors continue to have more and more reasons to pump iron and push body weight.
As I’ve written before, from our 30s on, we lose muscle mass in a process called sarcopenia. With loss of muscle goes our ability to maintain a “functional” lifestyle–the ability to care for ourselves goes down (bathing, shopping, food preparation, dressing, safe bathroom use), as does quality of life. In addition, the risk of falls increases as muscle mass decreases.
Here are two important reasons to lift weights into your 60s and beyond:
1) A recent study published in the journal Obesity looked at 249 overweight or obese adults in their 60s for 18 months. These folks were restricting calories, and were divided into three groups: resistance training with diet, walking plus diet, and diet alone. The findings: the first group lost less muscle, and slightly more fat, than the other two. Walkers with diet lost twice as much muscle mass compared to seniors who participated in resistance training.
Important takeaway:
If you’re trying to lose weight, engage in strength training as a complement to dieting. This will help preserve muscles and an independent lifestyle.
2) The American Diabetes Association recently published its position statement on Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes. The association recommends two to three sessions of resistance exercise per week in addition to other types of physical activity. Strength training for people with type 2 diabetes improves blood sugar control, insulin action, body composition, blood pressure, and strength. This is important, as these folks are at a higher-than-normal risk for low muscular strength and loss of functional abilities.
Important takeaway:
To improve blood sugar management (without taking more medications), it’s critical to add strength training to your life, two to three times a week.
So no more excuses! Find a way to engage in strength training–join a gym and take a senior exercise class that uses weight machines or dumbbells; find a class at a local YMCA, senior center, or park and recreation department; purchase a weight-training DVD; find an online video; or work with a personal trainer.
For more ideas to add strength training to your life, give me a call!
We can discuss some practical tips and discover if any of my programs or classes are a good fit for you.
If you’d like to schedule that call with me, just CLICK THIS LINK, and let me know in the message that you would like a 1-on-1 call with me right away and I will be in touch to schedule that – oh, and leave me your phone number in there too since email is not as reliable as it used to be! Thanks.