The older you grow, you tend to start losing vitamins and minerals and your health deteriorates. You’re prone to injuries and your bones become smaller, weaker and fragile. You lose your strength and your cardiovascular health slowly deteriorates.
At age 40, testosterone levels have dropped and this leads to decrease in muscle size, strength and fatigue. If you are over 40, you also have a longer recovery time after an activity. You can however, chose to fight back through exercise. One workout for people over 40 is weight training.
There are several reasons you might stay away from lifting heavy weights. One of the major reasons is the misconception that lifting weights will make you bulky. Focus should be placed on being strong and fit. A CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) study indicates that strengthening exercise like weight training are safe and effective for people over 40.
Regular weight training has several advantages. It can help in reducing the risks of chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain and depression. Other conditions that can be prevented by weight training are heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, psychological effects and many more.
3 tips to start training using weights
Before embarking on any physical weight training it is advisable to get a physical examination from a physician. Once this is done it is safe to start. For safe weight training there are simple guidelines to be followed:
- Start by using smaller weights and increase gradually as you progress. Keep track and use equipment that is in good condition. Using the right technique is also vital in ensuring safety.
- While weight training, it is advisable to avoid hyperventilating. Stop when you experience discomfort and lift only what you can.
- It is advisable for older people to decide on an effective workout to keep fit and prevent some chronic conditions. It is necessary to have a workout routine that you can follow. Make sure you are eating right and taking a few supplements to boost your performance.
Weight training or strength training, done with other exercises such as aerobics, can also affect mental and emotional health positively. The best workout for people over 40 should not be strenuous as muscles are weaker and may not withstand too much pressure and this could be fatal to you. If you are looking for a step by step guide on training with weights, you can look at Old School New Body F4X which is especially made for people over 40.
Other than weight training, some of the workouts you can do are swimming, walking and cycling which can fit in any schedule and can be done on a daily basis.
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