Strength Training for the Rest of Us

by Megan

Working here at Group Health Cooperative, I field a lot of different health and wellness questions. One of the topics that I find people often asking me about is strength training.

They say, “I’ve got a great daily walking routine going, and I feel great about that, but I know that there’s supposed to be more to a workout.  What else should I be doing?”

As it turns out, strength training seems to be an area that most people are a bit uncertain about. So for today’s post, I thought I would clear up some of the confusion about strength training and provide you with some great tips that you can put to use right away!

As you and I get older, our muscle mass decreases. In order to help replace that loss, we need to train with resistance to help ward off an increase in body fat. Strength training is a fun and beneficial supplement to our aerobic exercise routine.

By adding in strength training, everyone can increase their lean muscle mass. The result?  Your body will burn more calories while at rest. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Need a few more benefits to convince you?  How about these:

Stronger bones. Lifting weights strengthens our bones. By strengthening our bones we can reduce the risk of osteoporosis later on in life.

Avoiding injuries. Another benefit of strength training is that by building muscle we can help protect our joints from potential injury.

Stay limber. By increasing our strength we can also maintain flexibility and balance, both of which help keep us independent as we age.

If your biggest concern now is that you do not have the time or money to dedicate to a strength training program, I’ve got some great news for you!  Most people need to spend only 20 minutes, two days a week on resistance training.

Fit it in during commercial breaks when you are watching TV. Wake up 20 minutes earlier. Do a few exercises during your lunch break! Aim to do eight to ten exercises that incorporate several muscle groups and perform 10-15 repetitions of each exercise. 

You can use your own body weight for exercises like squats, lunges, pushups and triceps dips. Another option would be to purchase resistance bands or resistance tubing. These are fairly inexpensive, lightweight and they can be stored nearly anywhere. If you don’t want to purchase dumbbells, use water bottles or laundry detergent bottles filled with water or sand.

As always, remember to first check with your physician before starting any exercise program and pay attention to how your body feels. Also, while it is normal to feel sore after starting any new program, you should not be in pain. Make sure you strength train on nonconsecutive days as your muscles need time to rest.

Do you have any health or wellness questions for me?  Let me know by leaving a comment.


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