Why Seniors Shouldn’t be Afraid of Vigorous Weight Training

You’re nearing retirement age, or you’ve already reached it. Looking in the mirror, you notice your posture isn’t that great anymore.

You don’t have the muscle mass you once did.

You’re not as strong as you used to be. You lose your balance more often, almost falling.

Walking up a flight of stairs is more difficult than when you were younger. Even your activities of daily living are getting harder.

You’ve heard that weight training can help. But for the most part, you should just accept significant functional decline.

You tell yourself that’s normal — part of getting older.

But that’s wrong.

You don’t just have to accept functional decline as a given.

In fact, through vigorous weight training, you can avoid significant functional decline, and look and feel better.

Seniors shouldn’t be afraid of vigorous weight training.

Isn’t Vigorous Weight Training Risky for Seniors? Nope.

Many seniors fear doing weight training because you’ve been told you’re at high risk for injury.

Or you believe you’re too old to benefit from this type of exercise.

You falsely believe you need a gym to do weight training.

Or maybe someone told you it’s bad for your joints.

So you avoid it, and your functional decline continues.

There’s no scientific literature to support the claims that it’s risky for seniors.

Not doing weight training is what’s risky.

Seniors Should be Doing Vigorous Weight Training

Check out this scenario:

You’re not doing weight training.

By age 80, you’ve lost 40% of the muscle mass you had when you were 20. If this happens, you’re suffering from sarcopenia. It means “vanishing flesh.”

Want some more bad news?

Not doing weight training means you lose bone mineral mass at a greater rate.

What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? Less muscle means less functional strength and an increased risk of falls.

With less bone mineral mass, you’re more likely to fracture a bone if you fall.

Downright SCARY isn’t it? Fortunately, you can reverse the aging process with weight training.

Drink From the Fountain of Youth

Sounds like a Pie-In-The-Sky claim, doesn’t it.

The good news is it’s not.

When you do weight training the following things happen:

• Increased calories burned at rest
• Decreased risk of diabetes
• A better looking body
• Decreased cognitive decline
• Improved endurance
• Improved posture

How can you not accept the proposal to become younger?

More GOOD News!

Why It’s Easier than You Think

You don’t need a fancy gym to reap the benefits of weight training.

Rubber bands or small dumbbells will do.

You can even do some exercises with just gravity as resistance.

All you need is 8 to 10 exercises.

Work out twice a week.

10 to 15 repetitions for each exercise.

If you need help, meet with a personal trainer once or twice. Then you’re set up.

Need to stay motivated? Change your workout once a month and exercise with a friend.

The possibilities for all the different workouts you can create with bands and dumbbells is nearly limitless.

Imagine a metamorphosis. It’s possible

New Mind, New Body

Sure, we’re all getting older. But avoiding a proven solution for reversing the problems of aging is a surefire path to a serious decline in your quality of life.

Who wants that?

The longer you wait to start, the harder it is to reverse the problems.

Check with your physician before starting any exercise program.

If you keep in mind all the benefits of vigorous weight training, you increase your chances of reversing functional decline you once thought was inevitable.

Imagine better posture. Visualize improved balance. Your activities of daily life will get easier. You’ll look and feel better. All of this is within your reach.

You know you want all of this. And you can have it with a little work a couple days a week. It’s worth it.

Workout with a friend or someone you love, and you increase your chances of success.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The first wealth is health.”

Emerson was ahead of his time. And now is your time to turn back the clock.