Strength training for both weight loss and graceful aging
If your workout does not include strength training, then you are missing out. Strength training helps ward off age-related muscle loss, keep your bones strong, promote mobility, prevent falls, and combat depression and cognitive decline. The benefits show improvements in blood values, muscle strength and mental well-being.
Many believe that spending hours on the bike or on long runs will lead to shedding off fat and associated weight; after all those pro cyclists all are single digit fat percentage athletes. But if your workout does not include strength training, you are missing out. Strength training helps ward off age-related muscle loss, keep your bones strong, promote mobility, prevent falls, and combat depression and cognitive decline. Studies demonstrate that even doing resistance training once per week can improve the health of people over 65-year-old. The benefits show improvements in blood values, muscle strength and mental well-being.
Strength Training: Master the Basics First
If you are new to strength training, also referred to as resistance training, please do not stress about using complex-looking gym equipment. I recommend instead focus on performing exercises using your bodyweight so you can learn proper form and build a base level strength before adding extra challenges to your workout. TRX suspension and RIP Trainers are excellent modalities for increasing core strength and promoting good form. Implementing TRX routines will reduce the risk of exercise injury while also allowing you to get better results for future workouts.
Resist and Persist to a Stronger Core
Resistance training is considered an important component of a complete exercise program to complement the widely known positive effects of aerobic training on health and physical capacities. There is strong evidence that resistance training can mitigate the effects of aging on neuromuscular function and functional capacity. Various forms of resistance training have potential to improve muscle strength, mass, and power output. Evidence reveals a dose-response relationship where volume and intensity are strongly associated with adaptations to resistance exercise. In addition, chronic resistance exercise improves bone mineral density and decreases abdominal and visceral fat mass; in adults with type 2 diabetes, resistance exercise reduces hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) compared with aerobic training. For these reasons, resistance exercise is often considered a “medicine”.
Despite the known benefits of resistance training, only 8.7% of older adults (>75 years of age) in the United States participate in muscle-strengthening activities as part of their leisure time. Reported barriers to participation in resistance exercise for older adults include safety, fear, health concerns, pain, fatigue, and lack of social support. The low participation rates and broad health benefits underscore the need for evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for resistance exercise for older adults to safely and beneficially incorporate strength training into their lives.
How Reps Coach?
When performing basic bodyweight movements, work up to performing three sets of 10 to 15 reps, or time from 30 up to 45 seconds with associated recovery in between repetition. Start with the smallest amount of weight available at your gym and increase loads as you feel comfortable. Depending on the exercise you are performing, resistance bands can also be great alternatives to traditional free weights like dumbbells. Try to perform three sets of eight to 12 reps, prioritizing good form above all else.
Once comfortable with routine knowledge and your form aim to do strength training three to four days per week on nonconsecutive days. Your cardio workouts are great for those alternate days. Keep in mind that this might take some easing into, so patience and consistence are your ally to success. If you are new to resistance training, or never done it before, keep the first day short but still challenging. 10 to 15 minutes for first timers, 20 -30 minutes with previous fitness training experience. Then see how you feel. If you are sore afterward, wait until the soreness is gone before your next session. While muscle soreness is not a bad thing, exercise recovery tends to take longer as we get older. Giving your body ample time to recover from each workout will ensure you get the best benefits possible.
How To Get Started
If you need professional guidance and support in perfecting your form, never hesitate to ask your gym or studio about working with a personal trainer/coach, recommends Tiffany Chag, C.S.C.S., a strength coach at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. All exercisers, no matter their age, can benefit from some one-on-one lessons. Building and maintain muscle mass leads to weight loss and prevents injury.
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For more information, visit www.truecyclingstudio.com, call 443-512-8783 or email info@truecyclingstudio.com.
References:
1. https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/strength-training-for-seniors/
3. https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/strength-training-tips/
4. https://www.tiffanychagtraining.com/about
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27620535/
6. https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/ijtr.2015.22.8.385
7. https://www.trxtraining.com/
8. https://www.truecyclingstudio.com/contact-us
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Most non-traumatic lower body injuries can be traced to poor movement patterns Gordon Hay, Aline® Foot Specialist Balanced stabilization, efficient movement with stress-free joint friction or pain starts at the base, the feet.
Most non-traumatic lower body injuries can be traced to poor movement patterns - Gordon Hay, Aline® Foot Specialist - Balanced stabilization, efficient movement with stress-free joint friction or pain starts at the base, the feet.
We aim to help our clients improve these patterns and prevent injuries while increasing performance. Aline® shoe inserts are available at True Cycling Studio. Contact us to schedule a meeting with an Aline® Consultant.
According to a recent Boston Globe article the number of Americans affected by joint pain and injury are increasing by the day. The article states, “surgeons are replacing 320,000 hips and more than 670,000 knees each year, according to the federal government’s latest count, and the numbers are expected to mushroom over the next two decades.” ALINE’s patented products were developed to address problem. ALINE® restores your arches by allowing your body to naturally align itself. What makes Aline® inserts unique is its Proprietary suspension system.
The ALINE system was created by foot specialist Gordon Hay, business developer Derek Carroll, and engineer Keith Orr. “It’s amazing to me that we spend so many billions of dollars on sports equipment and footwear and we remain ignorant of our own unique biomechanics, which are more important than any piece of gear,” said Carroll. “A few millimeters of misalignment can lead to a huge loss of performance and a whole range of biomechanical-related health problems… Why not fix it at the source?”
Both Aline® and True Cycling have the similar concept in that we want to help all our members and athletes - move better, feel better and perform better!
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