Weight lifting and stretching are extremely useful at any age, however there are particular benefits for older adults. With ageing comes concerns about strength, balance as well as mobility. However, integrating resistance training and stretching into your routine may keep you feeling healthy and strong.
What Is Mobility Training?
The term ‘mobility’ designates exercises which will increase your range-of-motion as well as your stabilisation, or control of the muscles which surround each joint. Mobility isn’t the same as flexibility although it is close. Mobility incorporates flexibility in addition to strength. It’s crucial to assist you squat deeper, push much harder and – ultimately – jump higher.
Why You Need To Begin Working On Mobility
You’ve perhaps heard this before, however it’s worth repeating: As we spend so much time in poor, static positions – and this includes in front of the computer, TV, or phone, our body becomes ‘tight’ and lacks both optimal range-of-motion and adequate activation of specific muscle groups.
Go into a workout with limited range-of-motion, and your assistance muscles will begin to compensate. As assistance muscles are usually smaller and weaker, compelling them to handle excessive torque is a recipe for pain as well as injury. Worse still, if your lifts aren’t activating primary muscles as you can’t attain full range-of-motion, you perhaps won’t even build the muscle that you’re working toward.
Most individuals either don’t know that they need to spend time working on their mobility, don’t know what they need to be doing, or are wasting their time performing futile techniques. And you never really know it’s trouble until it’s too late: Most people can get away with poor mobility and movement for a finite amount of time – until your body has had enough, and injury and pain set in.
What Is Resistance Training?
Resistance training (which is also called strength training or weight training) is the usage of resistance to muscular contraction in order to establish the strength, anaerobic endurance as well as size of skeletal muscles. Resistance training is premised on the principle that muscles of the body will work in order to overcome a resistance force when they need to do so. When you do resistance training repeatedly and consistently, your muscles will become stronger.
What Is The Significance Of Strength Training As We Get Older?
One of the best ways to combat physical age-related concerns — in addition to maintaining range of motion, strength as well as balance — is to incorporate consistent resistance training into your weekly routine.
Resistance training can aid older adults by:
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Increasing Bone Density
When you strength train, you’re placing stress on your bones from the movement and force patterns. This leads to bone-forming cells to jump to work. This creates bone which is stronger and denser.
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Increasing Muscle Mass
More muscle means increased strength, better balance as well as an increased metabolism. One study found that by implementing a training programme, older adults were able to improve their muscle mass and muscle strength by 30%.
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Enabling Better Balance And Functionality
Having strong muscles contributes to better daily function. After all, activities like sitting down in a chair, reaching up to get something from a shelf, or even tying your shoes all require balance, flexibility, and strength. And for older adults in particular, these benefits translate into a reduced risk of falls or other catastrophic injuries.
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Improving Body Composition
Maintaining muscle mass is important to decrease the chances of obesity, especially as we age. Improving quality of life. Older adults who participate in a regular resistance training routine often see improvements in their psychosocial well-being.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Do you want to learn more about resistance and mobility training? If you do then you need to do our Personal Training Diploma. Follow this link to find out more.
