Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror, and wondered, “Am I aging?” Perhaps you’ve noticed some extra wrinkles, gray hair or a slight drop in your energy level. The truth is, getting older does not mean you will become weaker. It’s actually quite the opposite. You can still live your best life, no matter how many birthdays have passed. Are you ready to turn the clock back? Learn how to age stronger.
Aging can bring about some changes that are sometimes a little scary. Heart disease is the leading cause for death in the U.S. and our risk increases with age. Why? As we age, fatty deposit can build up in the arteries, making blood flow to the heart harder. Not only our hearts are affected. Around age 50, our bones begin to weaken, increasing the risk for fractures and falls.
Staying strong can help you to avoid these problems. Research shows that maintaining strength and building muscle can increase your lifespan, improve your heart health and keep your bones healthy. The best part? It’s never too early to start. You can still build muscles and get stronger, whether you’re in 30s, 40s or beyond.
Maintaining mobility is key to staying fit as you age. Your risk of injury increases if you cannot move your joints easily. If you’re injured, staying active and building muscle is difficult. It’s important to spend time on mobility exercises. Even if you only have 10-15 minutes to spare, try to do some kind of mobility work every day. A simple warm-up before your workout will make a big difference. Try some cat-camel stretching, leg lowerings or walking knees-to-chest. These exercises can help you keep your joints flexible, and reduce your risk for injury.
Strength training is also essential to staying strong as you get older. As we age, we lose muscle mass naturally, which can lead us to weakness and a reduced quality of life. Lifting weights and performing bodyweight exercises will help you maintain your strength and build muscle. Studies show that people are able to continue building muscle into their 70s. Focus on exercises that work your entire body like squats and deadlifts. Don’t forget to do single-leg exercises and power exercises. These can help you remain agile and prevent falling.
How can you put this all into action? Commit to three full-body exercises per week. Each workout should be a combination of strength training, flexibility work, and low intensity cardio. Exercises that target the upper body, lower back, and core are best. Don’t forget to do some isolation exercises, such as biceps curls and lateral lifts, to build muscle and keep joints healthy.
Here’s an example workout to get you going:
Warm-Up:
- Cat-Camel Stretch: 8 reps
- Leg Lowering: 8 reps per side
- Split Quadruped Adductor Mobility: 8 reps per side
- Walkout Strider+ Reach: 3 reps each side
Walking Knee to chest: 10 yards
Workout:
- Box Jumps (low box) : 2 sets of 5 reps
- Med Ball Chest Pass : 2 sets of 10 reps
- Goblet Squats: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
- Tall Kneeling Chop : 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
- Prone leg curl machine: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
- Resistance Band Anti-Rotation Press : 3 sets of 10 reps each side
- Lat Pulldown : 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Dumbbell Row with Single Arm: 3 sets each of 6-8 reps.
- Push-Ups: 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
- Rack Pec Stretch : 3 sets of 30 second holds per arm
Cool Down:
Light stretching or foam roll
Aging is part of life but it does not mean you have to become weaker. By focusing your efforts on mobility, strength-training, and staying active you can build muscles, improve your health, as well as your quality of living.
