Most of us would benefit from strength training, although one could argue that the importance becomes greater with age.
As we age, the amount of muscle we have on our bodies naturally reduces, and this means that our strength reduces too.
Of course, that means changes to your figure, but more importantly a reduction in muscle mass and strength also means decreased motor control and balance – which then means higher chances of falling.
I believe that with strength training, we can reduce your risk of injury in general by maintaining and improving your strength and coordination.
Then we can think about the brain side of things too because while age tends to show a decline in brain function, physical activity helps to keep the mind sharp. After 40, our brain function declines by about 5% per decade, and accelerates once we hit about 70. While there are no definite numbers, it has been repeatedly shown that those who maintain their fitness see markedly less decline in brain function.
This all said, when you’re starting to use resistance exercise, or you’re going back to it after a break, there are a few things you should keep in mind, regardless of your age:
– start LIGHT. Don’t fall into the human trap of “some is good, so more must be better”. Even if you used to strength train years ago, start easier than you think you should. Gain confidence and skill before making things harder.
– keep the intensity LOW. It’s always better to do less than you could but to do it consistently, than it is to go all out too quickly or too often and hurt yourself.
– work on MOBILITY. It is super important. The older you are, the more likely you are to have some kind of injury or postural deficiency which makes some positions harder for you to achieve. Keep working on your mobility.
In summary; you are never too old to improve your strength – it is inactivity that we should be wary of!
Aging is going to happen regardless of what we do, but by avoiding inactivity and maintaining an appropriate resistance training routine for as long as we can, the “normal” bodily changes of deterioration to muscle, bone, brain and general health can be either avoided or significantly delayed.