Strength Training and Aging

There are only a few things that are guarantees in life. One of them is that no matter how hard we try, everyday, we get older. There is nothing you can do about your age, that number only goes one way.

Once you hit your 30’s, things in your body can start declining. Metabolism, muscle mass, vision and your skin are some examples. Everyone will have a different experience with this depending on a variety of factors. A lot can be in your control but some are not.

We are going to talk about one of the biggest influences on your body and quality of life that IS in your control.

After your 20’s your metabolic rate will start to decline. This mostly happens from muscle loss. This is why it gets harder to maintain your weight as you age. You may feel like you haven’t changed your eating much but you seem to be gaining weight. It is most likely because you have lost some muscle mass over time, which in turn lowers your metabolic rate.  With a lower metabolic rate, you now need fewer calories to maintain your weight and if you haven’t made that adjustment in your diet, you will now be in a caloric surplus, thus you gain weight. As time goes on this gap widens and the weight continues to pile on if left unchecked.

The good news is there is a way to fight back! Good old strength training to the rescue!

Strength training will ensure that you are maintaining your muscle mass as much as possible as you age. You can even add muscle and increase your metabolism at almost any age.

Not only will you fight the natural decline in muscle tissue, keeping your metabolism higher and staying leaner from it, you will also maintain your ability to stay strong and function well as you age, continuing to do all of the activities you love to do and have a high quality of life, which is really what this is all about. Having and living a high quality of life.

So now that you know you can fight back against the natural aging process, staying leaner and having a strong, high functioning body by just adding some regular strength training to your weekly schedule, what will you do with that information?

We can’t stress enough the importance of strength training. The sooner you start, the better. But you can start at any age and get amazing results. 2 or 3, 30-60 minute strength training workouts a week is all it takes, with the key being that you stay consistent, continually working and challenging your muscles regularly so that they stay strong.

If you are new to strength training do not hesitate to ask us for help. That is what we are here for!