Are You Too Old to Pump Iron?
by J. Bowler
zone3
Are you too old for weight
lifting? Will weight lifting help you stay and look younger? The answer
to the first question is no and to the second is a resounding yes.
Weight lifting will help both men and women stay fit and supple and
might even help you look younger. And, no matter what your age, you’re
not too old to start.
Dr.Walter Bortz, in The Journal of the
American Medical Association, 1982, stated that a number of the
physical changes we undergo as we age, such as loss of muscle tone,
organ deterioration, and osteoporosis are “indistinguishable
whether caused by age or inactivity.” He believed that exercise
could delay many of the diseases associated with aging, adding “at
least a portion of the changes commonly attributed to aging >are in
reality caused by disuse and, as such, subject to
correction”.
As we age, we lose bone density and muscle mass.
We get stiff and our joints creak. Instead of using our body, we
“rest” it even more, starting a very dangerous downward spiral. The
synovial fluid dries up, the tendons become brittle, the sinews
grow weak. It hurts to move, so we don’t.
More recently Dr
Henry Lodge and Chris Cowley published a new book on this theme,
"Younger Next Year: A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You're 80 and
Beyond". The premise of this book is that weight lifting will help
reverse the loss of both bone density and muscle mass that begins to
take place as we get older. And hey’re not talking about light
weights, but rather big heavy weights.
In July 1983, Terry Todd
wrote in Sports Illustrated that “Anyone who has spent much time in
what is sometimes called the "Iron Game" has, of course, seen weight
trainers over 40 whose physiques were… surprisingly youthful.
Apparently there is something about the act of regularly stressing
your body with heavy exercise that gives it the wherewithal to resist
the visual manifestations of advancing age…research in this area
suggests that men and women of middle age will respond to systemic
progressive resistance with weights by becoming more powerful and more
flexible, with more endurance and less fat.”
In 2003, the
Centers for Disease Control reported that strength training "can be
very powerful in reducing the signs and symptoms of numerous diseases
and chronic conditions, among them:arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis,
obesity, back pain and depression."
Strength training will also
increase your flexibility and balance, which decreases the likelihood
and severity of falls. One study in New Zealand in women 80 years of
age and older showed a 40% reduction in falls with simple strength and
balance training.
I don’t agree that we need to undertake heavy
weight training to see substantial benefits.
The American
College of Sports Medicine strength training guidelines say we should
start with at least two days a week of any type of resistance exercise
by doing 8 to 10 different exercises and doing 8 to 12 repetitions per
day. A repetition is how many times you lift the weight or do the
exercise.
So start off with a weight that you can lift correctly
for at least 8 reps, even if it’s only 2 to 5 pounds. Rest between
each set of repetitions and between each exercise. If you can't make
it to 8 reps during the first few tries, don't give up. Do as much as
you can do. You'll be suprised at how soon you will feel like you need
to add a bit more weight.
But the goal is not to become a body
builder, but rather to restore your muscle tone and joint movement.
You can gradually work your way up to heavier weights if you desire,
but you will obtain the best benefit by avoiding injury and sticking
to the program – lifting weights every two or three days.
An
excellent resource on this subject is Getting Stronger: Weight
Training for Men and Women by Bill Pearl and Gary Moran, Ph.D. I have
the edition that came out in 1986. A newer one is now available. I
have referred to it constantly over the last 19 years.
The book
gives you tips and pointers on how to set up a strength training
regime. There are illustrations of every exercise with step by step
instructions on how to do them properly.
You can either learn
beginning to advanced body building, sports fitness routines to help
you do better in 22 different sports, exercises to help prevent
injuries at work or just the principles of general conditioning and
strength training.
And you don’t need any fancy equipment to get
going. Almost all the exercises use cheap dumbbells and weights that
are available in just about every sporting goods store. All in all,
this is a very comprehensive book on weight training and is especially
helpful to those of us who have never lifted weights before.
If
you have any disease, injury or physical disability, consult the
doctor who has been treating you before undertaking these exercises.
Follow his advice on how to get started and do not strength train if
he says not to.
Start off slowly with light weights. Follow the
diagrams in the book to make sure you’re positioning your body
correctly to avoid injury and obtain the best result from your
workout.
After several weeks, you will be well on your way to
improving your appearance, physique and general attitude toward life,
while doing wonders for you internal organs and maybe even fighting
off disease. “Use it or lose it” applies to just about every part of
your body. Don’t “lose it” because of inactivity and
disuse.
This article is for informational purposes only. It does
not purport to offer medical advice. Consult a qualified physician
before undertaking any exercise program.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ms Bowler has taught ballet, gymnatics and aerobics and has been a
personal coach. She is very interested in antiaging research. By: Jean
Bowler http://www.ageless-beauty.com
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