By a show of hands, who reading this wants to live longer, have less aches and pains, have more energy and overall just feel darn great! I know that I do. Oh and I forgot to mention, burn more fat, build more muscle and have a faster metabolism?
Well hopefully you raised your hand mentaly at least. Because in this article I am going to show you that at any age from 9 to 99 you can and should be on a resistance-training program. There are just so many wonderful benefits that result from it. The benefits seen in the muscular system with resistance training are increase in muscular size, strength, and strong bones. It reduces the risk of colon cancer and diabetes, helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and allows individuals the opportunity to maintain independence in their latter years.
Did you realize that the amount of muscle mass we have decreases as we age? In fact long-term studies show that Americans, as they move from young adulthood into middle age, tend to lose about 6.5 pounds of lean body mass each decade of life. This rate of loss actually increases after the age of 45. Resistance training can prevent loss of muscle mass and help in regaining the lean mass that may have already been lost. This is great news, at any age we can still build muscle, which is absolutely crucial in our quest for a lasting healthy life.
The importance of maintaining or building your muscle mass cannot be over emphasized! Why is that so important you ask? Muscle is biologically active and it requires a lot more calories to maintain itself (high maintenance) compared to fat which is metabolically inactive (low maintenance). Which translates to this: the more muscle you have the more calories your body will burn, when you are doing absolutely nothing! Yes! That’s exactly what we want and the best way to do this is through resistance training.
BUT you think that by lifting weights, you’ll end up looking like some freaked out steroid muscle head, with arms bigger than your legs. RELAX! Ain’t gonna happen. (Excuse my improper grammar, it’ll slip sometimes.) To build muscle like you see on the professional bodybuilders is just next to impossible, even when you are trying too, like I am! Also to be on an effective resistance-training program you do not have to lift weights, repeat DO NOT! There are many ways to get a great workout that will stimulate muscle growth and strength without going to the gym and pounding out sets with the iron barbells. Don’t get me wrong I personally love lifting the steel, but I am saying that is not the only way to build muscle especially for people that don’t have the time to go to the gym or feel intimidated by the gym atmosphere. I am going to show you 2 substitute resistance training techniques that you can do in the privacy of your own home or anywhere for that matter.
Using your body weight, as resistance is very effective but also has its drawbacks. Usually the exercises like pushups or pull-ups are either too easy or too difficult to perform. However there are solutions to those problems, if the exercise is too hard you can modify it so that you perform the optimal amount of repetitions. For example in the pushup you can put your legs in the kneeling position and do ‘girl’ pushups. If the exercise is too easy for you, you can add resistance to it like in the pull-up; you can wear a weight belt with a chain and additional weight to it as you get stronger. The key is to keep your repetitions between 6-20. There are many body weight exercises you can perform at home and get in a full body workout:
- Squats
- Ski Squat (You lean against a wall and squat down as if your skiing and you hold it, try it for a minute, it’s a killer!)
- Forward Lunges
- Reverse Lunges
- Side Lunges
- Step-ups
- Heel Raises
- Pushups
- Incline Pushups
- Pull-ups
- Dips
- Sit-ups
These are just a few, there are obviously many more with some creative thinking you can even make some up. Just remember to use proper body mechanics so you don’t get injured. If you are not sure on how to perform these exercises please hire a competent fitness professional that will gladly teach you how.
Another alternate method of resistance training that you can do is the elastic tubes or bands. When I am training older clients I prefer this method of training. It is non-intimidating and very user friendly. The bands come in various tensions ranging from about 5 pounds to 18 pounds and when you progress in strength you can use 2 or more bands at once. You can do all the above exercises and more with the bands, they really are like having a portable gym with you. The brand of elastic tubes I recommend is bodylastics, that is what I use and they are so easy to work with, if you want to own a quality set of bands at a very reasonable price you can’t go wrong with them. Remember that your muscles can’t tell the difference between the type of equipment that use. Results are contingent upon correct mechanics and exercise intensity.
If you stay consistent, training with resistance at least twice a week, it won’t be long before you will be adding quality muscle to your body. If you ever need a fitness professional to help you reach your peak potential please contact us, we would love to help you.
Just a quick reminder, that yes this is an extremely important piece of the fitness puzzle, it is still a piece. We must remember to eat healthy and take the proper supplements along with cardiovascular and flexibility training.
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