Hi, my name is Desiree Winkel, owner and founder of Fitness Coaching. I’ve been working for years now with Martijn Steffens, a manual therapist who runs his office in the same studio as mine. We work with clients, who are in pain, need to exercise and want to get healthy.
Want to live longer, happier and above all more relaxed? Strength training is your answer!
You may say, “Yeah! Yeah, we heard it all!” And, yes, indeed I guess you are right. These days, the internet provides so much information about health, eating and you name it. BUT PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR!
I laugh sometimes when I see slogans like “These six abs moves give you your six pack” or “Lose 10 pounds by just eating this” or “These fitness moves spice up your sex life”. If all was as easy as they say in those articles; I think following those articles you’d only have to spend 20% of the time in the gym instead of what I am doing. Nothing is easy. It takes effort to get your body where you want to get it. The only thing I can honestly say is that IT’S MORE THAN WORTH IT.
That said, let’s explain to you a little bit about why you could get older than somebody who is not in a fitness regime. Regular physical activity promotes general good health, reduces the risk of developing many diseases, and helps you live a longer and healthier life. For many of us, “exercise” means walking, jogging, treadmill work, or other activities that get the heart pumping; but often overlooked is the value of strength-building exercises.
Once you reach your 50s and beyond, strength (or resistance) training is critical to preserving the ability to perform the most ordinary activities of daily living and to maintain an active and independent lifestyle. Studies attest that strength training, as well as aerobic exercise, can help you manage and sometimes prevent conditions as varied as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis. It can also protect vitality, making everyday tasks more manageable, and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Research has shown that the average 30-year-old will lose about a quarter of his or her muscle strength by age 70 and half of it by age 90. “Unless you are doing strength training, you will become weaker and less functional.”
What is strength training?
•Free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells
•Ankle cuffs and vests containing different amounts of weight
•Resistance (elastic) bands of varying lengths and tension that you flex using your arms and legs
•Exercises that use your body weight to create resistance against gravity.
Most of us know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don’t know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones. And strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.
A combination of age-related changes, inactivity and inadequate nutrition conspires to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40. As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after even a minor fall or a far less obvious stress, such as bending over to tie a shoelace.
Osteoporosis should be a concern for all of us. An estimated eight million women and two million men in the United States have osteoporosis. Sorry, I could only find this information in the USA. Osteoporosis is now responsible for more than two million fractures each year, and experts expect that number will rise. Hip fractures are usually the most serious. Six out of 10 people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of independence. Even walking across a room without help may become impossible.
Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several show it can even build bone. This is tremendously useful to help offset age-related decline in bone mass. Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action. That stress comes from the tugging and pushing on bone that occur during strength training (as well as weight-bearing aerobic exercises like walking or running). The result is stronger, denser bones.
And strength training, in particular, has bone benefits beyond those offered by aerobic weight-bearing exercise. It targets bones of the hips, spine and wrists, which are the sites most likely to fracture. What’s more, resistance workouts – particularly those that include moves emphasizing power and balance – enhance strength and stability. That can boost confidence, encourage you to stay active, and reduce fractures another way – by cutting down on falls.
How much do you need?
A beginner’s strength-building workout takes as little as 20 minutes, and you won’t need to grunt, strain, or sweat like a cartoon bodybuilder, either. The key is developing a well-rounded program, performing the exercises with good form, and being consistent. You will experience noticeable gains in strength within four to eight weeks. Training three times a week will change your body. Two times will mostly maintain what you build up. The rest period between sets is longer for people above 50 than, for example, a 35-year-old.
Buying your own equipment is one option. Sets of basic introductory-weight dumbbells cost $50-100. Health clubs offer the most equipment choices, but of course, you have to pay monthly fees. Books and videos can help you learn some basic moves and start developing a routine. However, the performance of an exercise is very critical especially with hardly any experience in the movements. Personal training studios are a good option. We at Fitness Coaching provide an adult education program that offers strength training classes, as well. We are the only fitness facility on the island with special hydraulic machines designed for this age group. On top of that, we have a 60+ discount for 60 years and up.
Discuss your new exercise plan with your doctor and explain the level of workout you expect to achieve. Mild to moderate muscle soreness between workouts is normal, but back off if it persists for more than a few days. It is always helpful for me as a personal trainer to receive a letter from your doctor with information about your health.
Conclusion: Spend time, change habits and live happy for you and your child. Let me help you! If you have questions or need more information about Fitness Training, call me, Desiree Winkel, at 524-7700. We are located on Welfare Road, close to the Cappuccino diner, in the same building as North Eastern Insurance – on the first level of the building.
