Why should you weight train?
05. Oct, 2011 
4 Comments
I belong to a large commercial gym a few miles from my home. It’s convenient and has great equipment.
I don’t have too many complaints, really.
My big one is this…
I would LOVE to see more women my age working out.
Not up on the cardio deck, but down in the free weights area.
There’s maybe one other woman and she only shows up from time to time.
Otherwise, it’s all guys—from teenagers up to seniors.
Where are the women?
It’s not really a complaint, but more of a “wish.”
And a wonder: “Why aren’t they doing this?”
I confess. I consider weight training the fountain of youth.
Working out with weights gives you great bang for your buck.
(For someone like me, who likes to keep moving, 10 biceps curls with a dumbbell is so much more fun and more rewarding than several minutes holding a pose.)
Lean muscle mass decreases with age, as you no doubt know.
You lose muscle and strength with every decade unless you do something about it.
But aside from building your muscle mass and strength, weight training also boosts your circulation, improves your flexibility and your bone density, and helps your body use insulin more efficiently, so the food you eat is less likely to get stored as fat.
And since muscle is more metabolically active than fat tissue, you’ll burn more calories even at rest with a little more muscle on your frame.
Stress relief, too
Maybe it’s just that 30 to 60 minutes of weight training takes your mind off your stresses.
Or maybe it’s due to the release of brain chemicals that make you feel better,
Weight training offers great stress relief.
(It’s kept me in a positive, ”can do” mood during years of challenges.)
It increases your energy and improves your endurance, in and out of the gym.
Changing the shape of your body by adding muscle makes you look at yourself differently–with an “I did that!” sense of accomplishment.
Plus, studies show exercise, including weight training, helps fight cognitive decline.
So many things to love about weight training!
I’d be happy to share the benches.
Please go to the gym! Or work out at home—that works, too!
Set an exercise schedule so that it becomes routine.
And give it time. You may not love it right away.
Try it for three months. It should have become a “habit” by then.
(And you’ll finally know why the “boys” swear by it.)
- Do you do any sort of resistance training? If so, what’s it done for you?
- If you don’t go to a gym, what holds you back?
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I’ll weight train with you in spirit! I’m terrible about actually going to the gym so I have my free weights in a drawer under the bed (so NOT Feng Shui) but OH WELL) and I just go through my routine at home.
I loved the comment on yesterday’s blog that was expressing appreciation for the motivation you provide to get active again. I echo that sentiment…! I had been active my whole life but around 48, I just quit working so hard at it. Partly lazy, partly convinced that at an older age, “what’s the point?” I found your blog because I actually Googled “Fitness after 50 what’s the point”!
So — THANKS! My 55th birthday is in December and this year’s celebration is going to include a toast to renewed fitness and healthy eating habits –
(Nevermind that I had to actually do the math because I couldn’t remember if I’m currently 53 or 55…..!)
I’ll weight train with you in spirit! I’m terrible about actually going to the gym so I have my free weights in a drawer under the bed (so NOT Feng Shui) but OH WELL) and I just go through my routine at home.
I loved the comment on yesterday’s blog that was expressing appreciation for the motivation you provide to get active again. I echo that sentiment…! I had been active my whole life but around 48, I just quit working so hard at it. Partly lazy, partly convinced that at an older age, “what’s the point?” I found your blog because I actually Googled “Fitness after 50 what’s the point”!
So — THANKS! My 55th birthday is in December and this year’s celebration is going to include a toast to renewed fitness and healthy eating habits –
(Nevermind that I had to actually do the math because I couldn’t remember if I’m currently 53 or 55…..!)
I’m definitely a fan of weight training first, and cardio second (and for heart health, not primarily for weight goals!).
Women seem to tend to not weight train because it’s unfamiliar, they don’t know where to start, and they think it’s going to be not fun…but wow, the results are awesome (especially for women who haven’t done much besides moderate cardio!).
Thanks for your thoughts on this!
Lisa´s last [type] ..Weekend Trip
Thanks, Mary! Yep, there so much IS a point to becoming fit in your 50s and beyond.
Years ago, it may have been more about vanity. Now it’s got to be about health and longevity–with looking good still in the picture, but simply not as vital. And there’s a freedom to that!
Just think, by your birthday you can have 2 months of exercising under your belt. That will see you through the holidays and into 2012 nicely!