Strength training exercises are very necessary for women who are over 40. However, you will not readily find the average woman giving priority to such exercises. If you’re in your forties, you would have observed the gradual loss of muscle tone and elasticity. You’re not alone if you’re concerned about losing muscle elasticity after 40.

Elasticity is the ability to recoil or bounce back to the muscle’s original length after being stretched. Muscle tone can be observed when muscles are in a state of slight tension and they are ready for action. Training regularly helps you tone the muscles and equally creates good posture.

The rate at which we burn calories begins to decline after the age of 40. We lose muscle tone and bone density as we age. We become more prone to stress-related eating. Our hormones fluctuate and middle-age spread sets in. We may also discover that fitness and nutrition routines that used to work for weight loss and muscle gain are no longer effective.

Maintaining that Body

Fortunately for you and me, a strong and healthy physique can be maintained at any age. We don’t need to lift 45kg barbells, or get an expensive personal trainer, to build muscles. Trust me, toning your body will not require you to break the bank and buy state-of-the-art equipment. You can do strength training with your own body weight or with reasonably priced equipment. Women can add strength training into their workout routine and change their diet to avoid losing muscle tone after the age of 40.

Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training is a method of training that helps you increase your muscular strength and build muscle mass and can use many different types of training, explains Kate Whapples.

At times, it’s tempting to skip the strength-training portion of your workout and concentrate solely on aerobic exercises (exercises designed to benefit the heart and blood vessels, for example, brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling etc.) This can cause you to miss out on many of the important benefits of strength training, one of which is to improve your ability to perform daily activities, and change the way your clothes fit.

According to the Mayo Clinic, if you’re trying to build muscles after 40, strength training can provide the following:

Strength training exercises are an excellent way to lose weight or maintain healthy body weight. This is because your metabolism has increased, which is required to support and maintain the larger muscle mass you develop after lifting weights. You end up burning more calories than you would have otherwise because of this metabolic boost.

Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions; such as diabetes, depression, heart disease, obesity, and back pain are just a few of the many conditions that can occur.

Strength training helps you develop strong bones; by stressing your bones, you increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.

Strength or resistance training becomes increasingly important as we age in order to maintain good overall health, not to mention toned upper arms and abdominal muscles that concern some women.

Some research also suggests that regular strength training may help improve thinking and learning skills for older adults.

Rob Herzog, Memorial Healthcare System’s Director of Fitness and Sports Medicine tells us that after the age of 40 our muscles and joints become more prone to injury, so it’s good to begin strength training slowly and gently. Begin with low-impact exercises or light weights, and include plenty of stretches before, during, and after our workouts. Injury prevention becomes even more important after the age of 40 because recovery can be more difficult. “You shouldn’t do that exercise if it doesn’t feel right or causes pain.”

Of course, many women might not have a block of time every morning or in the evening to fit in an aerobic workout, but for a start, it is important to plan a workout program for at least three times a week. For me, I use workout videos or brisk- walk indoors for at least 15-20 minutes, 3 times a week, and my strength training is done three times a week.

Points to consider when getting started:

• Consult your doctor if you’re over 40 and you have a chronic health condition.
• Warm up your muscles with aerobic activity, like brisk walking for 5 or 10 minutes.
• Choose a weight or choose a resistance level to train/tire your muscles for 12-15 repetitions. This can build muscles effectively.
• Rest one day in between your strength training workout.
• If you’re new to strength training, speak to a fitness coach, so that you don’t carry weights wrongly.

   

  Sleep and Diet

  Sleep and diet also play a role in fitness after the age of 40. Sleep is when the majority of muscle rebuilding and recovery occurs. Studies have shown that people who are consistently sleep-deprived (fewer than six hours of sleep per night) have more difficulty losing weight and maintaining weight loss than those who get a good night’s sleep.

  No matter how hard we work out, if our diet is poor, we will never see muscles or improve our ‘trouble spots’ unless we make sound nutritional choices. Herzog advises “Eating protein at every meal, avoiding processed foods and artificial sweeteners, and limiting coffee consumption before bedtime.”

  On this note, I strongly encourage all women over 40 to make it a high priority to engage in strength training exercises if they are not doing so. 
  
  

   

  Efe Lisa Ifezuo