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By Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D. To the uninitiated, the weight room may look like a mysterious place. And until you have received your guided tour by a user-friendly fitness instructor, it can even be intimidating. People working out alone or in pairs with focused expressions and not too much conversation move deliberately from one station to the next. What are they doing over there? Weight training is a form of resistance training, which simply means any kind of exercise in which the muscles exert force against resistance. Weight training uses weight machines and free weights to apply resistance. Resistance can also be applied with rubber tubes, another person or even water. One of the highest advantages of weight training is that resistance can be applied in a measured, progressive fashion. After your strength increases enough to lift three blocks of weight, you add another block. The main reason exercise scientists now recommend adding resistance training to your exercise program is that, for most of us, nothing in daily life provides adequate stimulation for building and maintaining muscle strength. The benefits of weight training read like an anti-aging potion. Here are some of the reasons you should be sure resistance training is part of your exercise program. Weight training can help to prevent age-associated declines in muscle cell mass and strengthSome of the decline in strength that occurs as we age is inevitable. Studies have shown that people lose about 30 percent of their muscle mass between the ages of 20 and 70. That's the bad news. However, much of the loss of physical function that occurs is due to inactivity and a consequent decline in physical fitness, rather than aging itself. In “sedentary” muscles, cells shrink and become weaker. The good news is that strength training enables us to maximize the size and strength of the muscle cells we have, no matter how old we are. Even men and women who begin strength training in their 80s and 90s experience significant strength gains, doubling and even tripling their strength after several months of training.One of the greatest benefits of weight training is that it can help prolong independence in older adults. When muscle strength declines to a point where we can no longer take out the trash, carry groceries or take the laundry to the basement, we lose the ability to live independently and must increasingly rely on others for help. Weight training can make an important contribution to the quality of life for older men and women. Weight training can prevent age-associated declines in metabolic rateA decline in muscle mass is one of the main reasons metabolic rate decreases as we age. Metabolic rate is partly a function of how much muscle tissue you have. That's why bigger people need to eat more. Muscle tissue is metabolically active even when you are not exercising, so even at rest, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Strength training can help slow the age-associated decline in metabolic rate by preserving muscle mass.Weight training helps to prevent orthopedic problemsIn our sedentary society, many orthopedic problems are the result of weakness and inflexibility, which are often shrugged off and attributed to the aging process. But many of these aches and pains are not something you have to live with. Neck, back, shoulder, knee and hip pain often respond to physical therapy treatment that includes strengthening and stretching the affected area. Why wait until you get injured to develop optimal strength and flexibility?Weight training strengthens not only muscles, but other structures as well. These include tendons (which attach muscle to bone), ligaments (which connect bones at joint areas) and joint capsules. Stronger muscles and joints are less prone to injury. Weight training may also increase bone strength by helping maximize bone mineral deposition in young adults and minimize its loss later in life. Weight training helps you look and feel betterWeight training is the most efficient way to improve muscle definition. Many people who work out only two or three sessions per week will start to see improved muscle tone after only eight or 10 weeks. Safety note: People with health concerns or heart disease risk factors should check with their doctors before beginning a new exercise program. A qualified fitness instructor can help you design a safe, effective weight-training program to fit your personal fitness goals. |
