older everyday & not liking the looks of it?
Its no secret that our bodies change as we age. Yes, we may all notice a few extra lines around our eyes or an extra gray hair or even an extra roll in our tummies…..but you don’t have to! Yet one more perk to weight training: It slows the effect of aging. When you exercise, you tend to eat healthier and drink more water, which in turn helps keep that body younger looking although it might not say so on your birth certificate.
Many of the changes in our bodies are a result of not using them rather than simple aging. When you challenge yourself with strength, balance, and coordination, you force your muscular system and nervous system to better communicate to your brain to form connections that will improve your movement and awareness. As we age, range of motion decreases and muscles tighten. The older you get, the harder it will be to complete everyday simple activities. I see this in several of my clients who are in their 70s and 80s. They did not exercise or stretch when they were younger and sometimes have a hard time doing things as simple as tying their shoes or standing up without feeling like they are going to fall over. In cases like these, it is important to concentrate on balance and light weights. Start with baby steps until you are able to build up a little bit of muscle and balance that will help you get out of the chair and stand without feeling like you are going to fall over. Then you can practice bending over and stretching those hamstrings that so often like to tense up.
Long term exercising may slow the loss of muscle mass which will enable people to continue with their daily routines without a lot of exertion. Exercise helps maintain your bodies response time as well as its ability to deliver and use oxygen efficiently. 30 minutes of exercise will help and it doesn’t have to be intense workouts either. You can do things as simple as light weight training, walking, dancing, swimming, or gardening.
I know we all have some older grandparents, friends, or mentors in our lives who might benefit from balance, strength training, and other forms of exercise. If you know of anyone who is interested in improving strength and balance, please let me know and I can email you some different exercises. But for those of you who are younger than 70, keep on exercising! It does a body good!
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