The benefits are numerous
“Start moving it before you start losing it”
Getting and staying fit is very rewarding with many benefits. From the moment you start you’ll notice positive improvement, you’ll feel better, you’ll start to look better, your skin will look healthier, you’ll notice improvement in your mental agility, any stress you have will reduce, you’ll start to look better in your clothes and your sleep quality will improve.
If you make your health and wellness path part of you daily activity you will find it starts to become pleasurable.
These Top 5 benefits to starting a strength training program after 50 I hope will motivate you to commence your fitness journey.
1. Improve your Brainpower & Productivity.
Many studies have revealed that regular exercise doesn’t just improve our physical wellbeing it also improves our mental agility and capacity. Other studies show that regular exercise can help and improve concentration, boost creativity and enthusiasm for life.
When we are in our 40s, 50s and 60s, one of our primary goals should be to build our cognitive reserves. The more neural pathways we have now, the more resilient our brain will be as we get older.
The ageing process will certainly take its toll and try to degrade our cognitive function so the more we can improve it during early- and mid-life, the better off we will be in later life. It’s like setting up a huge savings account that we can continue to draw from for a long time before it is depleted. How do we do that?
Well, first off, any form of exercise is good for the brain. The brain is an organ that needs adequate blood supply, oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to function properly.
At Renewed after 50 we do GO4LIFE fitness classes for Over 50’s
2. Increased strength
Strength training benefits go beyond mere visible results and improved muscle mass to include chronic disease prevention, such as a decreased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes.
Strength training is also a great way to increase our metabolic rate, which will help your body burn more calories throughout the day. It also increases our lean muscle mass and overall strength, helping you to workout longer and have more energy. These things combined work to help you maintain your weight goals over a long period of time.
Another benefit of a well-designed Strength training program is that is will also assist our Balance. Balance gives us our ability to control our bodies—ideally, without constant, conscious thought—and allows us to do things like lean forward, move down to the floor quickly, stand very still, or walk across the room. In most cases, we do these things without giving them any thought because we have so many senses that are interacting to keep us balanced.
At Renewed after 50 our GO4LIFE fitness classes include balance exercises for older adults
3. Increase Bone Density
As we age, inactivity (and just getting older) can lead to our bones decreasing in density and becoming more brittle, leading to diseases like osteoporosis (and being at higher risk for injuries). By doing regular strength training, research has proven that you can both increase your bone density and work to prevent osteoporosis.
4. Look and feel better
In my view nothing is more satisfying than the feeling after a great workout. Strength training may be painful at times, but the effects that stronger muscles and joints can have on our bodies is very worthwhile. Being stronger can impact your posture and your overall muscle tone. All of these things combined lead to increased confidence and higher self-esteem. Strength training can also help you age more gracefully, as it keeps you alive and vibrant. For us over 50s, being fit and healthy is the key to quality of life. Far from being a time to slow down if we can stay fit, there’s virtually no limit to the activities we can enjoy. The ‘big 5-0’ that so many dread can actually be the start of a wonderful, active and fulfilling time in our lives and why strength training for women over 50 is so important.
5. Cardiovascular Exercise
Often, people think they need to take up running to get exercise or to get in shape, but you really don’t. Brisk walking, jogging, swimming, bike riding in fact any exercise that elevates your heart rate is cardiovascular exercise. The benefits include improved fitness and toning, weight loss (if your diet is right) and improved overall health. Everyone should do some form of cardio workout every single day, especially for those of us who work in an office or cannot stay active during the day.
Other benefits can include Weight loss and muscle toning, endurance and stamina. Increased bone density and increased energy levels, stress relief, and reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Our GO4LIFE strength training classes for women also incorporate Cardiovascular Exercises in every class.
And here’s a couple of important and additional benefits.
Injury Prevention
One of the best ways to prevent and heal injuries is to strengthen the muscles around them. A large portion of sport-related, as well as life-related injuries can be prevented by properly strengthening both your muscles and joints. If you do endure an injury, strength training can help heal it faster by strengthening the muscles affected and speeding up recovery time.
Nutrition and fitness go together.
Nutrition refers to the nourishment of your body and fitness refers to your state of our health and well-being. As stated earlier what we put into our body and in what amount will determine our overall health, our risk of developing diseases and the quality of our lives. Improving our nutrition and fitness will help us control our weight and will reduce our risk of disease. A good diet will help to control our stress levels, moods and improve the quality of our sleep.
At renewed After 50 we do:
- Strength training for women over 40,
- Strength training for women over 50, and
- General fitness classes for older adults