13 Strength Training Benefits for Seniors
When we use the phrase strength training for seniors, we’re really talking about exercise for individuals aged 50 or older. However, just because many of us are getting older, it doesn’t have to mean that we are finished or washed up. It is still possible for an older person to have the body of an athlete. Below I have listed thirteen benefits of strength training in seniors:
1. Stronger Muscles – It goes without saying that if you are training for strength, you are bound to have stronger muscles – provided that you are gradually striving for increased levels of resistance. However, a big mistake that many seniors make is to go to heavy and that is when the injuries and joint pain creep in. Know your limits!
2. Stronger Bones – Strength training done properly will increase bone density and therefore increase overall bone strength. It will also stave off chronic illness, such as osteoporosis.
3. Better Sleep – It goes without saying that most forms of exercise will promote better sleep and better sleep means better overall health. Also, by resting properly, we recover more quickly.
4. Increased Insulin Sensitivity – When we exercise, we put a certain amount of stress on the body and this can raise our cortisol levels – slightly raising insulin. However, regular exercise will ultimately increase insulin sensitivity, meaning that we remain in fat burning mode for a longer time.
5. Decrease Dementia Risk – Regular exercise is scientifically proven to lower our risk of dementia and other neurological conditions. The video at the bottom of this page contains links to the scientific findings.
6. Decrease Chronic Back and Neck Pain – If you suffer from chronic neck and/or back pain, regular exercise will definitely help those conditions. The increased circulation alone, will keep areas of inflammation well supplied with warm blood.
7. Improve Overall Quality of Life – Anybody taking regular exercise will improve their quality of life, as the body’s natural ‘feel good’ hormones kick in (see the video below).
8. Improved Life-Span and Health-Span – Statistically, regular exercise improves our life and health span, so basically, it should help us to live longer.
9. Loss of Visceral Fat – Visceral fat is the hard fat – you can’t pinch it – that is the most dangerous. It wraps itself around your internal organs and the best example of this is the Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL), which is where the liver stores fat in itself and we end up with a big protruding abdomen! Strength training will contribute to losing this fat.
10. Fall Risk Decrease- Break Risk Down – Strength training will help us to keep better balance, as we are more statistically prone to falling and breaking bones, the older we get.
11. Increased Heart Health – Regular strength training improves overall circulation and in turn, this improves our cardiovascular health. Our blood pressure will be in a better place and our heart rate will be much more relaxed.
12. Increased Flexibility – Inflammation, such as stiff joints and arthritic conditions greatly improve when we exercise regularly. This is mainly because regular exercise promotes good circulation and with all of that warm blood hitting our joints, we don’t seize up like the Tin Man from Oz! Just make sure not to go too heavy on resistance exercises.
13. Mood Improvement Depression – I’ve already touched on ‘feel good hormones’, but it goes without saying that our mood is forced to improve when we work out regularly. It has been scientifically proven that regular exercise can in turn help conditions such as depression and anxiety.
In this excellent video, Doctor Berry talks about the reasons why it is very important for senior athletes – specifically the over 50s – should be training for strength and building/maintaining muscle.
