Strength for the ages
You may have heard that strength training and lifting weights is a ‘young person’s game’ – I’m here to definitively tell you that is not the truth. As you get older, improving and maintaining your strength becomes even more important, and today I want to take some time to tell you why you need to keep lifting weights as you get older – and if you’re not currently doing strength training or have even never done it before, then it’s never too late to start!
Why do I need to lift weights?
In Australia 1 in 3 older adults have a fall every year. 40% of older Adults will have multiple falls – of these, 30% will require medical attention. This is not good – having a fall resulting in injury often makes you more likely to have another fall in the future, further increasing your risk of serious injury.
Another eye-opener for you; Queensland spends twice as much on the treatment of falls in older people than on victims of road traffic crashes. Click here to learn more from the Queensland Government on this.
What are the benefits?
Falls and injuries relating from them are not only a national, but a global concern. As outlined by the WHO in their ‘Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health’, the benefits of regular exercise and strength training for older adults include:
lower rates of coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, colon and breast cancer, a higher level of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness
healthier body mass and composition and enhanced bone health
higher levels of functional health, a lower risk of falling, and better cognitive function
So now we know why need to lift weights, and what are the benefits are. Time for the next step; getting you up and active!
What movements do I need to train?
When we want to increase our strength, we look at training movements - not just muscles. Here are the 6 basic movement types we want to master to improve strength and reduce our risk of falls and injuries:
Squat
There are plenty of ways to squat, but the variation I’d recommend the most is the box squat; you’re aiming to practice sitting down under control to a box height equal to a chair/toilet, pausing for a brief moment, then driving up using your legs and hips whilst your core stays braced – no swinging your arms to use momentum!
Hinge
For the hinge pattern I’d recommend the single kettlebell RDL (Romanian Deadlift) with the kettlebell being held with both hands between your legs. The goal is to keep the weight moving in a straight line up and down whilst you keep your core braced and practice sitting back into your hips, stretching your hamstrings (the muscles on the back of the legs) as you go down.
Lunge
Many people complain of lunges hurting their knees, but I find that is typically because they choose a lunge variation that is too advanced for where they are currently. I’d recommend a small box step-up to begin with – we’re trying to build some single-leg strength and improve overall stability here. It doesn’t have to be a giant box to being with – aim to start at a height that’s around 30cm off the ground and work on only using the front leg as you step up, then controlling the way down slowly.
Push
For pushing we’re focussing on your horizontal plane here – we’ll start with hand-elevated push-ups. Start with your hands on the edge of a couch or bed and aim to keep your body straight, core braced and butt squeezed, and lower yourself down slowly until your chest touches the surface your hands are on before driving your body up. If this is too hard, try doing push-ups with your hands on a higher surface (or on a wall if need be) and practice coming down as far as you can.
Pull
For pulling we aim to work the muscles on the back of the upper body that will help to support your shoulders – the supported row is one of the best movements for doing this whilst keeping you safe. Holding a weight in one hand, bend forward at the waist and put your other hand on a surface around waist-height for support. Keeping your back straight and core braced, squeeze the muscles on your back and around your shoulder-blades to pull the weight up to your body, then control the weight all the way down until the elbow goes straight and repeat.
Carry
When it comes to functional movements, picking something up and carrying it is about as functional as it gets – for this we’re looking at the farmer’s walk. Holding a weight in each hand, slowly walk for a distance of 10-20 steps whilst keeping your body tall, shoulders squeezed back and down, and hands squeezed as tight as possible. When you reach the other end put the weights down safely on a bench, then turn around, pick them up again and repeat – we’re trying to ensure you don’t twist your body and swing them around as you turn.
If you’re unsure of how best to perform these exercises, how often to do them, how much weight to use or anything regarding how to complete them, please ask for help! If not from myself, then seek out an exercise professional near you and look to get some training sessions in so you can master these movements, improve your strength and quality of life, and stay injury- and pain-free for longer.
If you want to live a better life, strength is the way forward!
Talk soon,
Alex
