Top 4 Reasons Why Strength Training is Important After 35
There are many perks that come with age. Along with becoming “older and wiser,” many of us are at the pinnacle of our careers and at a place where all of our hard work is starting to pay off. Unfortunately, on the flip side, age also brings numerous health problems: weight gain, less energy and strength, and so on.
The good news is there are many lifestyle choices you can make that can optimize your health. When it comes to fitness, strength training offers a variety of benefits for those in their mid-30s and beyond.
1. Prevents poor posture
If you had bad posture habits growing up, it is likely to catch up to you with age. When left untreated, poor posture can lead to more severe imbalances.
Strength training alleviates pressure on the back. By strengthening your muscles and bones, your body will naturally become more aligned and your posture will improve as a result.
“If you have mild back pain, core-strengthening exercises may improve posture, ease symptoms, and prevent future pain,” WebMD reports. “If you have severe back pain or injury, are out of shape, or have any medical problems, talk to your doctor before you start any exercise program.
2. Stimulates testosterone and growth hormones
Having healthy testosterone levels is essential when it comes to reducing your risk of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease.
Men between the ages of 35 and 40 experience a 1 to 3% decline in testosterone each year. For women, testosterone levels also decline until menopause. Research confirms that an effective way to boost testosterone and growth hormones is through strength training.
“Testosterone is an important modulator of muscle mass in both men and women and acute increases in testosterone can be induced by resistance exercise,” according to the NIH.
3. Counters the effects of weight gain and heart disease
As we get older, our metabolism slows down, which can cause the pounds to pile on. Strength training builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. Strengthening your muscles boosts your resting metabolism, which as a result, will lead to burning more calories and prevent weight gain.
Also, according to a recent study, weekly resistance exercise for less than an hour a week is linked to a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which also lowers the risk of developing heart disease.
"Muscle is the power plant to burn calories. Building muscle helps move your joints and bones, but also there are metabolic benefits,” said DC (Duck-chul) Lee, associate professor of kinesiology and lead researcher of the study. "If you build muscle, even if you're not aerobically active, you burn more energy because you have more muscle.”
4. Enables you to enjoy hobbies and activities to the fullest
In our mid-30s, it starts to become more challenging for our bodies to hold on to muscle. This explains why people are naturally less active as the years pass.
Since strength training builds and maintains muscle mass, this is especially important as we age. Stronger muscles will increase your physical performance across the board.
Life doesn’t have to slow down as you get older. You can still enjoy biking, hiking and other physical activities. You just need to do your part to keep your body strong!