If you are telling yourself that you are too old for weights, then it is perhaps not true. For many people, no matter how advanced in years, it is likely that age is just an excuse.
One is actually not too old for weights even if one has never done weights before in their life. As with everything else in life, it is never too late to make a start; even when it comes to weights or other resistance training.
Firstly check with a doctor: Later in life, there may be reasons or physical conditions or infirmity that may preclude weights workout for certain people.
Therefore it is best to consult with a doctor prior to beginning a fitness regime; this is actually true for any fitness regime, not just weights.
Clear with the doctor what is suitable, what is OK to do and what is best to avoid given one’s particular healthy and fitness levels.
Start slow, start small: It is important to make a start and also important to make a modest start. A too ambitious start will likely put you off if it is too taxing, and it also leaves you open to injury that could be a huge setback.
Remember even light weights do offer considerable amounts of health benefits. They should be used in a way that intensity can be increased gradually and slowly to offer more optimum results.
Reasons why weights can benefit seniors:
- The threat of osteoporosis (which literally means the bones becoming porous) is one that looms large for seniors; particularly for women. Resistance and weight training exercises are the best way to conserve bone mass and keep osteoporosis at bay.
- Another particular benefit of doing weights for seniors is that doing weights is able to improve balance and centering among people. This is of particular importance for seniors for whom falling by losing one’s balance is an attendant problem which is helped to be alleviated considerably by doing weights.
- Since weights help build lean muscle and lower fat, they help stave off heart disease.
- They increase overall strength of the body and since they improve the metabolism, energy levels among older people are seen to increase.
- Sleep patterns may also improve and seniors who exercise may seem that they have easier and more restful sleep at night.
Health permitting seniors should give weight training a try even if they never have before. They may just surprise themselves!
