Weight Training for Seniors
(Yes, you can do it and Yes, it's important!)

Be careful.  Don’t jump to a hasty conclusion here.  There are real benefits to weight training – for seniors too.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exercising can actually slow the Physiological aging clock.  That’s a very good thing, isn’t it?

You’re not in perfect health right now?  Again, the CDC says that people with health concerns such as heart disease (the number one killer in the US) and arthritis can benefit the most from regular exercise and weight training.  Such a plan also has a positive effect on your mental and emotional health.

Weight training as seniors can actually be more important than the same training in earlier years because, unlike younger people, seniors lose muscle strength and bone density as they age.  This make them more susceptible to falling.  

Will Weight Training Help Any of These?

It can reduce the symptoms of many chronic diseases, such as:

•         Depression

•         Obesity

•         Back pain

•         Arthritis

•         Diabetes and

•         Osteoporosis

Women who have passed menopause can lose up to 2% of their bone mass every year.  The Journal of the American Medical Association published a paper that showed weight training increases bone density and thus reduces the threat of bone fractures for women between the ages of 50-70

Weight Training Helps With These Too

If you are like many seniors today, you struggle to keep you weight where you want it.  Weight training helps here too because more muscle mass means a higher metabolic rate or the more calories your body burns over time.  An increase of 15% in the metabolic rate is a significant benefit not only for weight loss, but also for weight maintenance. 

As you age, it sometimes becomes more difficult to sleep.  Not so much with people who exercise regularly.  Regular exercisers fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply, awaken less often, and sleep longer.  These benefits mean you do not need to worry about the side effects of sleep aids or with the expense and hassle of keeping them on hand.

Diabetes is a real problem in the US and the number of people who have it is climb at an alarming rate.  Beyond the risk of heart disease, diabetes is the number one cause of blindness in older adults. 

Good News

There is good news.  Many studies over the years have shown conclusively that lifestyle changes such as strength training are very beneficial in helping older adults manage their diabetes.  Such changes can have the same effect on glucose levels as diabetes medication again, without the expense and side effects of medication.

Weight training reduces or eliminates the need for anti-depressants.  It is not yet know if this is because of greater physical strength or because of a biochemical change in the brain coming from the exercise.

When seniors participate in a strength training program their self-confidence improves along with their self-confidence.  These improvements are noticeable in improved quality of life.

With such powerful and compelling benefits of strength training and exercise and since it requires so little time, why not start your weight training immediately to invest in yourself and start right now!

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