A question has just been asked of me on Twitter:
“How can I get my parents to ignore Homes Under The Hammer on tv screens at gym & focus on working out?”
I tend to view exercise similarly to giving up smoking, it doesn’t matter what everyone else wants you to do it’s only going to happen if you want to do it.
However the older you get the more the saying “use it or lose it” becomes applicable. There is word for it – sarcopenia and it means loss of muscle mass. It starts in our 30s and as we become older it can make performing the most basic tasks of daily living difficult, and greatly increases the risk of suffering falls and other serious accidents. Whilst there are multiple reasons for sarcopenia lack of exercise is a contributing factor.
Regular exercise, with emphasis on strength training, is essential for preserving and increasing muscle mass. In addition strength training has been found to improve bone density, particularly important for women post-menopause, and lessen the decline of your metabolic rate.
If you are a member of a gym ask an instructor to devise you a programme that includes strength training. The instructors in a gym are there to help you, and if you ask them a question I am sure they would be happy to share their knowledge, but in many gyms you have to ask them first.
For those of you without the benefit of gym membership some simple bodyweight exercises can be done at home. Check out my article Resistence exercises using bodyweight.
Before starting any new exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any exercise changes with them.
Helen Witcomb runs Whole Life Fitness which is a personal training company which caters exclusively for the over 50s. For more information please visit Whole Life Fitness or call 01252313578.
Original Source: Why you should make exercise a priority.
Helen
Having worked in IT in London for 15 years I was made redundant in 2009. I had trained as a gym instructor whilst working and decided I would rather spend the rest of my career doing something I loved than look for another job in IT. I furthered my qualifications with a Certificate in Advanced Personal Training from the highly regarded Premier Training. Many personal trainers are generalists covering all areas of fitness but I took the decision to specialise in the over-50s and therefore went on to do a CYQ Award in Functional Training for the Independent Older Adult Level 3. My focus is on overall health rather than fitness. I believe that making small changes can have a long term positive effect on health and well-being.
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