5 Strength Training Tips for Aging Adults

Strength training for seniors does some fundamental things: it maintains bone density and muscle strength, and enhances balance and flexibility, all which help to maintain daily living independence. Regardless of your level of gender, age or fitness, strength training benefits everyone.

Bone Density Osteoporosis in elderly adults is a major cause of frailty and can affect quality of life, especially after a fall resulting in a broken bone. For reasons not yet fully understood, but supported by several study results, strength training not only increases muscle strength and mass, but also increases and strengthens bones bone density.

 Muscle Strength Weight or resistance training sessions not only prevents further muscle mass depletion, but it actually improves the strength of the muscles by toning them up; it can even build back some muscle mass lost over the years through aging. Tone muscles make you look more youthful and feel better about yourself.

Balance With falling as a major source of injury and broken bones among seniors, it is important to do what you can to improve or maintain balance. Strength training helps build and tone the abdominal core and back muscles, thus giving your spine more support. By keeping your posture more upright, your weight more centered over your spine and you are less likely to lose your balance and fall. Supplement strength training with exercises that transfer weight back and forth, such as walking or using an elliptical trainer.

Tip! Some people are perfectly content using fitness equipment in a gym, but running outside is better overall. Treadmills are excellent for saving time and running in the winter, but running on asphalt will give you a better workout.

Increasing the range-of-motion of a joint also help with balance. To improve flexibility, focus strength training efforts on exercises that work a joint through its full range. Yoga is an excellent exercise program for doing this.

The Value of Stretching

Tip! You are not going to get six pack abs by only doing crunches. You aren't going to lose tummy fat with abdominal exercise, but you can make your muscles stronger.

Dynamic stretching before strength training helps warm up and loosen joint muscles. Because muscle fibers tend to shorten during a workout, static stretching after exercising works to cool down and return the muscle fibers back to their normal length thus helping reduce the risk of injury and soreness. While dynamic stretching works the muscle back and forth through its range of motion, static stretching extends a muscle out to its maximum range and holds it in that position for a short amount of time.

Tip! It is generally better to do more repetitions with less weight rather than doing only a few repetitions with a lot of weight if you want to improve your muscle mass. Many people think that big muscles come from lifting huge weights, but it actually from working the muscles for longer periods of time.

Workouts that help build bone density, muscle strength and improve balance and flexibility not only include those that use just body weight, but also ones that use light free weights, resistance bands or weight machines. As with any other exercise program, be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program. They can recommend a program according to your abilities. A properly designed program should help you, not hurt you.

Tip! Learn how to do box squats and add a great exercise to your routine. Try box squats, a lifting exercise where you squat while holding the weight.

Strength training helps build and tone the abdominal core and back muscles, thus giving your spine more support. Supplement strength training with exercises that transfer weight back and forth, such as walking or using an elliptical trainer. To improve flexibility, focus strength training efforts on exercises that work a joint through its full range. As with any other exercise program, be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program.