Strength training is becoming more and more popular with more people realizing the benefits behind adding resistance training a few times per week. There are many reasons why strength training is incredibly important, especially as we age. Today I am going to dig into 3 big ones: daily function, increased muscle mass, and fall prevention.
Strength improves day-to-day function. It requires strength to move around your daily life. To pick things up, to move things, to stand up or sit down, to go up your stairs… Those are all strength related activities. As you begin to age, if you are not working on maintaining or building your strength, some of these activities might go from easy to tough to impossible. I work with many people who have grandchildren and struggle to get up off the ground… that’s no way to live! Additionally, as the body starts to fail at certain tasks, it can be mentally demoralizing. People shut down and resign to their fate. It doesn’t have to be this way… you can maintain a great quality of life throughout your entire life.
Over time, working to increase your strength will in turn build muscle mass. This does two things: gives your body shape, and it also increases your metabolism. If your goal is to change how your body looks, adding muscle is the best way to go about that. Not only will you add shape to areas that didn’t have it before, you will also increase your metabolism, decreasing your overall body fat. The newest research is showing that one of the best ways to increase your overall life expectancy is to have muscle mass on your body. Increasing your strength will have a direct effect on your lifespan.
One of the leading causes of death amongst elderly people are falls. Falling, breaking something, not being able to get up or call for help. Increasing your strength will help to prevent falls by increasing your overall balance and core strength, and it will also help fragility so, if you do fall, you can stop yourself or your body has the strength (and muscle mass!) to protect itself.
Increasing your overall strength is essential to your wellbeing. It is incredibly important as a younger individual, but laying the foundation now before you age will only benefit you in the long run!
