NOT FOUND: reverseaging.jpgSounds like the beginning of an infomercial tag line: “Reverse Aging in Only 90 Minutes.” While it may sound too good to be true, it isn’t. It is possible and it doesn’t take three payments of $19.99, plus shipping and handling. You can put down the phone. There is no toll free number to call to purchase your miracle drug to slow down and even reverse age related decline. What you can pick up is a pair of small dumbbells (2, 3, 5, or 8 lbs), or dust off your gym membership and get down to the weight room.
In the 70’s I was an aerobic nut. Not only did I teach several classes per day, I would position myself on my favorite Stairmaster, turn on my Sony walkman and climb for 90 minutes. The days I didn’t do the Stairmaster, I would run a few miles. On particularly obsessive days, I would do all. My heart was in phenomenal shape, but my body was out of balance. Injuries, aches and fatigue were more the norm than vim, vigor and vitality. If you remember any of my caffeine articles, I artificially induced any energy with obscene amounts of Diet Coke. It wasn’t until I was introduced to weight training that I knew what true, balanced fitness was. Weight training, combined with reasonable amounts of cardiovascular exercise, kept my weight down, my joints free from pain and my muscles free from multiple injuries. I added flexibility training to my regimen to round it off.
My cardio of choice these days is my morning walk, although I have been known to take an occasional hip hop or zumba class. My main emphasis in my workout is strength training with some flexibility training. If my time is limited, I will always choose weights over cardio.
Why am I talking about working out with weights this month? May is officially Senior Fitness Month, and while I would like to see everyone who is over 50 do some type of exercise, whether it be walking, dancing, swimming, biking, resistance training, etc., I want to emphasize strength training and show you its importance for your health. Strength training has been shown to decrease insulin resistance, decrease resting blood pressure, reduce arthritis pain, even improve memory.
Some experts believe it’s as essential as aerobic training. “As good as walking is for a variety of things, it does not address the loss of muscle that accompanies the aging process,” notes Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA. The loss of muscle – about seven pounds a decade for men and five pounds per decade for women – causes a slowdown in resting metabolism that then translates into a host of health problems. Much of the age related decline in muscle mass can be halted, even reversed, by strength training. Gary Hunter, Ph.D., a professor of human studies and nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama, found that lifting weights for 30-40 minutes, three times a week increased the muscle strength of women 60 to 77 years old by almost 40 percent – putting them on a par with 35-year olds. Other studies have found similar benefits from lifting just twice a week.
This is great news! Better balance, stronger muscles and better coordination can be regained and improved with regular, consistent strength training. No, you will not be big and bulky by lifting the light weights we suggest. Why resign yourself to being out of shape, sluggish and weak just because you keep having birthdays. Don’t get older – get stronger!
Please check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program and use a reliable, certified trainer to introduce you to the exercises.