Embrace Active Aging: Take Charge of Your Well-Being

Aging is inevitable. Here is one thing you can do to help your body as it ages.

As we age, muscle mass decreases while fat mass increases. Males lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes. Females lose 1% of muscle mass every year after age 30; this rate increases by 5-10% after age 50.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends full-body resistance training at least twice weekly. Using your body weight, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, weight machines, and bands can help you strengthen your muscles and bones while adding muscle mass.

This is why we incorporate weightlifting into each routine at VivO and some of my seated classes. Along with aerobic exercises, you also receive anaerobic benefits. Remember that because you are experiencing muscle loss, it will take longer to add muscle mass over time, so be patient with yourself and the process. Enjoy the process and have goals, but the outcome is not the only measure.

If you want to get stronger or build muscle, you'll eventually need to lift heavier weights.

Ultimately, the key to building strength is your ability to progressively overload your muscles. This means you must gradually increase the physical stress you put on a muscle to keep challenging it. Doing so ensures that your muscles are constantly adapting and getting stronger, a fundamental principle in strength training.

If you are doing quick movements with weights set to music, as we do in my VivO classes, you will want to stick with lighter weights. But that doesn't mean you must stick with the same poundage each time. You can increase your weight by 1, 2, 3, or 5 pounds to gain the benefits, or start heavier and drop to lighter when you feel the muscle getting tired.

Things to think about on your weightlifting journey...

Are your daily activities becoming easier?

Has your posture improved?

Has your balance Improved?

Are you getting injured less or feeling less pain?

Do you feel stronger?

Are you having fun?

*information taken from SKW writer Renette Schmidtke

*Self Magazine