Most of the people throughout the United States do not get the amount of exercise suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As we age, strength training becomes more and more important for helping us stay fit and healthy. When people think of staying fit as they age, weight lifting for seniors may not be the first thing that comes to mind but it can play a big role in maintaining health. Experts say it can help seniors stay independent and experience fewer symptoms of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and arthritis. Despite this, it has been reported that just 35% to 44% of people who are over the age of 75 stay active. Even fewer adults between the ages of 65 and 74 are active. For them, the number of active people is somewhere between 28% and 34%.
If you are a senior looking at weight training workouts, these tips can help:
- Pay attention to your joint health. While weight lifting for seniors can be very beneficial, it is crucial for them to watch their joints. Personal trainers recommend focusing on moves that support the full range of motion. This can help control the muscles as they are moved. They say that full body movements are more fun to do and result in fewer injuries. Experts say seniors need exercises that get them moving more and anything that encourages a full range of motion will fit that bill. Slow motion strength training workouts are great for this.
- Use bodyweight exercises to start. Not everyone is ready to start with a program for weight lifting for seniors. Experts say seniors should begin by using bodyweight moves to get to know the proper form. By starting off this way, the chances of injury are reduced. For people who have not done any weight lifting for a long time, the best way to ease into it is to get used to workouts that leverage the weight of their body. After they have mastered these workouts, weights can be added.
- Mix up workouts with cardio. When they are starting a new program of weight lifting for seniors, trainers have their clients do one day of strength training followed by one day of cardio workouts. Many use their cardio day to do low impact activities such as swimming, biking, or walking. These options not only add to the fitness goals but are great at improving their quality of life. By doing these different things, people get better at performing day-to-day tasks around their homes.
- Flexibility and balance exercises help injuries from happening. As people age, they sometimes experience problems with flexibility and balance. By adding exercises that work on both, seniors can experience fewer injuries. These exercises include the full range of motion workouts, and activities focused on mobility, flexibility, and balance. Experts say that moves that engage the entire body work better than those that focus on specific muscle groups or areas.
- Extra time needs to be spent warming up and cooling down. The time before and after a workout is very important in programs for weight lifting for seniors. Older adults need longer periods of time to recover and heal after working out than their younger counterparts. That means that more time needs to be spent between sets. This can also translate into needing to take more rest days. Workouts should not be rushed as that is the easiest way to lead to injury.
- The focus should be placed on smaller goals. When it comes to working out as an older adult, the journey really is its own reward. This is not the time to focus on larger goals but to make the process as much of the goal as the outcome. The seniors who are the most successful at sticking with a program of weight lifting for seniors are the ones who really focus on how the workouts make them feel on a day to day basis. A small weight loss of only 5% to 10% can have a big impact on your health.
Most Americans understand the real importance of getting regular exercise but not many get enough. No matter how old you are, there are things you can do to move more and be healthier.