10 Guaranteed Benefits of Strength Training for Women Over 50s
Strength training for women over 50s may not appeal to you. That’s probably because you do not want to be lifting weights. If you are the type of person who does not like pumping iron, you can always opt for resistance bands. Now, you don’t have any excuse not to do resistance training to induce muscle contraction.
Resistance training with elastic bands is highly recommended for women in their 50s. But before you do this type of training, make sure that you consult with your physician, especially if you have a medical condition.
Benefits of Strength Training for Women in their 50s
1.) Preserving Muscle Mass
When you reach your 40s, you start to lose muscle mass. It is a natural thing. One of the reasons is the decline in testosterone and physical activity. That’s why seniors are recommended to stay active to prevent muscle loss.
As we age, muscle mass diminishes. But you can prevent it through strength training. Keep in mind that as you grow older, the fat percentage in your body increases. However, you can avoid it by doing resistance training regularly preserve your lean muscle.
No matter your age is, you can preserve your muscle mass through strength training. And this type of exercise is also ideal in enhancing muscle mass.
2.) Losing Fats
Aging can be tough. If you gained weight in your 40s, it would be difficult for you to lose fats in your 50s. But it is still possible.
As you integrate regular strength training to your exercise routine, you can boost your body’s fat-melting ability. Keep in mind that women store more body fat than men do by 10%.
That’s why you can see a lot of older women now who are trying to lose weight do strength training exercises. This type of activity can burn fats while preserving muscle mass.
As you develop your muscles, your body can quickly shed off fats. The more muscle mass, the more fats you can burn.
3.) Maintaining Weight
If you have an ideal weight, you need to maintain it, especially if you are in your 50s. You cannot afford to gain weight as it will be harder to lose the extra pounds when you reach 60.
With regular strength training, you are not only increasing your lean body mass but you can also burn calories and fats more efficiently. As you do resistance training, you are overloading your muscles to adapt to the resistance. It stimulates growth, leading to an increase in muscle mass.
4.) Burning Calories
It can also help you burn more calories as it speeds up your metabolism. With that in mind, you can lose more weight. Doing strength training will increase your resting metabolic rate.
In that case, even if you are not working out, your body is still burning more calories. The higher your RMR is, the faster your body can burn fats. As a result, you will lose weight faster.
5.) Lowering Risk of Osteoporosis
Women have thinner bones than men. And when women reach menopause, their estrogen level decreases. Estrogen is a hormone that protects bones. A low estrogen level can result in bone loss. For that reason, women reaching menopause are likely to develop osteoporosis.
But you can prevent that by doing regular strength training. It increases bone density. That’s why health experts recommend that postmenopausal women must integrate this exercise into their workout routine.
However, it is not enough. You should also supplement your body with calcium and vitamin D, and other nutrients that can help in protecting your bones and building up bones.
By maintaining bone density, you are less likely to break a bone when you fall accidentally.
6.) Reducing Risk of Heart Disease
This type of exercise is also vital in fighting against cardiovascular disease. It can improve the health of your heart while lowering your risk of developing heart disease.
Strength training can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. In that case, it lessens fats around the heart, thereby, avoiding plaques.
The American Heart Association recommends it for at least twice a week to boost your heart health. Patients who had a heart attack should consider moderate strength training to protect their cardiovascular system from future attacks.
7.) Improving Balance
Balance is vital, especially in women who are in their 50s. Without proper balance, you can easily fall. It also prevents you from performing your day-to-day activities.
Unfortunately, aging causes the balance to decline. But you can improve your balance as you stay active at home. Strength training also targets your core muscles, which are vital in maintaining your balance.
8.) Improve Strength without Bulking Up
One of the reasons many women avoid performing strength training is that they do not want to appear bulky. But strength does not make you bulk up. You are likely to lose more weight and not gain strength training.
This exercise lets you shed pounds in areas where you do not want them. With regular training, you can gain strength, lose weight and improve your balance.
9.) Growing Old Gracefully
Who doesn’t want that? Apart from building stronger bones and core muscles, this type of exercise is also beneficial to help you age gracefully.
How? It preserves your muscles and protects your bones. With healthy bones and muscles, you can easily get up and down the stairs. You can also pick up things without feeling the pain in your back.
10.) Improving Mobility
Strength training with an elastic band is perfect in increasing your range of motion. It lets you move better. It also activates those muscles that are dormant.
Improving your mobility is vital to decrease the risk of injury. If you have an insufficient range of motion, you can easily perform various exercises. You can easily work your muscles to the fullest.
Of course, these are not the only benefits of strength training for women over 50s. But they are the most vital. Before you do strength training, though, you must consult your physician. It is useful. True. But some exercises that you see on YouTube, for instance, may not be appropriate in your case.
