The Importance of Strength Training,

  When the thought of exercise and strength training come to mind, one may have a lot of questions or make a lot of excuses, such as, I am too overweight, I have aches and pains, or I’m just plain lazy.  You might ask yourself, what is the importance of exercising and strength training anyway?  Walking, swimming, jogging and leisurely activities are definitely good for you and your health, but adding some strength training can be very beneficial no matter what age you are.  Strength training has many benefits for both men and women.  It’s never too late to start working on strengthening those muscles!

Strength training which is also referred to as resistance training, plays a significant role in many health factors including;

• Bone mineral density
• Percentage of body fat
• Glucose metabolism
• Blood pressure (Medical Update, 97)

  The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the 2008 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health all have recognized the importance of strength training as an important component of health.

When performing strength training exercises these organizations have recommended performing one set of 8 to 10 exercises of moderate weight 8 to 12 times each, two to three days per week for persons under 50 years of age. The same schedule using 10 to 15 repetitions of a lighter weight for persons over 50.  They believe rather than doing 8 to 12 repetitions, 10 to 15 repetition guidelines creates less joint stress and injury for seniors (Medical Update, 97). So in this case, more is better!

For older persons weight control is harder to maintain. The metabolic rate is decreasing while you age due to decreases in fat-free muscle thus making it difficult for older persons to maintain a normal body weght.  Muscle strength, muscle endurance, muscle mass, muscle fiber size, muscle metabolic capacity, resting metabolic rate, body fat,  bone mineral density and physical function all decrease with age, but if resistance training is used and practiced then all of these changes will improve and be better for you and your health for the many years ahead.

Research shows that strength training is beneficial for both males and females of all ages and is also an effective, safe way for conditioning them.  In all reality, strength training should be done by most if not all men and women, especially seniors.  If resistance training is practiced your health in the future will be affected positively.  It’s never too late to start strength training and seeing the benefits that it brings.

submitted by, Christina Lark, BA, ACSM