AF HEALTH & FITNESS APRIL 2022
Strength training often gets overlooked when it comes to people wanting to just get healthier. Many people assume that cardiovascular exercise eg running, cycling, walking etc are the only things that will keep them fit and healthy. These cardio exercises are great for general health, however growing research is now suggesting that strength training may play a huge role in supporting people's health and fitness, especially in the elderly population.
First of all, I want to define what I mean by strength training in this article. Many people have the idea of strength training being performing heavy squats, deadlifts etc and that puts them off trying it in the first place. Strength training simply is performing exercises with added resistance (bands, dumbbells, kettlebells etc) that targets specific muscle groups helping to build muscle strength over time. It can be tailored to suit ANYONE.
Several studies found that the benefits of strength training for elderly people are:
Improved Bone density
Improved muscle mass
Improved Mobility
Reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer a 10 to 20% reduction in the risk of early death
Improved blood glucose levels
Improved body weight
Improved mood
Current guidelines are to perform X2 strength sessions per week lasting at least 30 mins targeting all muscle groups.
I would also recommend elderly people get in some form of cardio exercise as long every week, aiming for 150 mins per week. Strength training combined with cardio training in elderly people has been shown to be the most effective and reduce the risk of premature death by a massive 40% compared to being inactive.
The main take home points here are that strength training should be part of everyone's lifestyle, but especially elderly people. I would like to finish by saying it you are unsure about getting into fitness due to medical conditions etc then always speak to your GP to make sure it will be ok.
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