By Building a better body shape is at your fingertips, ladies!
Getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop looking after yourself. I know many women don’t want to listen to me — and I get it. I have tried so many different things during my life, and with great certainty, I can tell you that weight training has proved to have the most benefits. First, it has increased my strength, but the most fundamental difference it has made was in my mental health. This is why so many people become obsessed with exercise — it relieves life’s complexities on many different levels. We test our mental and physical strength — and surpassing our limitations helps increase our confidence. Getting hooked on the “high” we seem to get through exercise is one of the contributing factors keeping the fire of commitment going. We could do anything, & it’s possible for you and me. We shouldn’t allow men to benefit from weight training alone — it’s ours for the taking if we give it a shot. Perhaps you are asking yourself — “well, all this is great, but I don’t know where to start!” Don’t worry; I didn’t either! I started in a body pump class and never stopped lifting weights from that moment on. I just LOVED how they made me look and feel simultaneous. You may say it’s too late since you are over 50! Well, it’s never too late to do anything you set your mind towards. That could be attending university (I’m currently studying for the first time at 43!). Maybe you want to start a new sport, run a marathon or do something crazy! Who are you to use your age as a limitation? Limitations exist in our minds. ???? It’s time to start ignoring that little voice that turns us towards mediocrity. Look towards the future with the intent never to regret anything — including talking yourself down when wanting to try something different. Here’s what training after the age of 50 can do for you, and it’s based on real-life studies. Some interesting findings published in sports medicine consolidated the results of 30 resistance training studies involving over 1400 participants.This specified the findings from men and women 50 and over. Dr Amanda Hagstorm says, “Historically, people tended to believe that men adapted from resistance training more than women. The differences we found primarily relate to how we look at the data, absolutely or relative. ‘Absolute’ looks at the overall gains, while ‘relative’ is a percentage based on their body size.” The age of 50 isn’t exactly considered an older individual, but this was the inherent threshold for the study because of the hormonal changes that menopause has when it comes to training outcomes.Upon conclusion, Dr Hagstorm found no fundamental differences in relative muscle size or upper body strength in older adults. Women seem to benefit just as much as men.
How to train for optimal results
This research proves that men gain more muscle size and are likely to see more significant improvements in upper and lower body strength. Older men are encouraged to work out at a higher intensity program to improve lower and upper body strength. Older women are more likely to increase in lower body strength significantly. Women should, therefore, increase their volume & repetitions. Both sexes may benefit a lot more by training for longer durations, and women should increase their upper body workouts to gain more strength in the upper region.
The long-term health benefits
Using weights as part of your workout regime increases stamina, flexibility and bone density. This is very important for women transitioning to or experiencing menopause. Weight training can also improve your sleep quality, give you a sense of well-being and help your health. As a result, you prevent age-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.
Key takeaways
I wish older, and younger people would embrace weight training as long-term health and strength-increasing strategy. There are so many benefits — it doesn’t matter your age. We can all benefit from making it a part of our life. I had to stop weight training for several weeks because I had a hysterectomy. It’s three weeks in, and although I’m still incredibly sore, I love the results. Slowly, you build your strength, fitness and muscle size. Increasing the muscle on your body isn’t bad — it helps you look a lot more fit, healthy and toned. Muscle takes up a lot less surface area than fat; therefore, you look a lot slimmer than you would if you lost just body fat. Aesthetics aside, we can’t deny the benefits here, so I urge you to start today and try it. Age is no barrier, and you stand to benefit more by allowing yourself many more healthy years to enjoy a journey called life. Read more about this study here.
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