Want to Increase Your Strength WIth Age?

Although there is no fountain of youth, strength training, also called weight lifting is clearly the best means for reversing many of the degenerative processes associated with aging.  It is also the best avenue for reducing the risk of many health problems common among older adults. (Fitness Professional's Guide to Strength Training Older Adults, Second Edition)

Muscle weakness is a major problem as people get older and it typically leads to physical frailty among adults as they enter their 70s and beyond.  However, regular strength training can reverse this scenario and it's never too late to reap the benefits of this form of exercise.  In one study with wheelchair users in a nursing home remarkable results in increased strength, and improved functional abilities were observed by patients who participated in a weight lifting program twice a week for 14 weeks.  On average these participates added 4 pounds of muscle, lost 3 pounds of fat, increased their upper-body strength by 40 percent, increased their leg strength by 80 percent, and reported significantly less discomfort in their neck, upper-back, and lower-back area.  More amazingly, most of these participates reduced or discontinued use of their wheelchairs.

Good news is the earlier you start a regular strength training routine, the greater the long-term benefits.  If you are approaching your 50s I highly recommend that you incorporate strength training into your fitness routine.  Checkout my Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced strength training routines at Forever Fit and Firm.