Weights – a perfect Christmas gift!
Integrating lifting heavy weights into your exercise regime is the best way to maintain your muscle mass as you reach middle age and beyond. To build up muscle, we are talking dumb bell weights from 3-10g, kettle bells from 12-30kg and 7-10 kg medicine ball.
My husband turned 50 this year and was given as a present the book “Outlive” by Dr Peter Attia. This author is like a Michael Mosley character, a GP living and breathing his own style of medical focus. He is focusing on what we can do in our lifestyle to be of optimal health well into your 80’s. Not getting frail and being reduced to observing life – but instead actively participating in it.
Between the ages of 50 and 80 years, it is completely normal to lose between 50-30% of muscle mass as part of the aging process. There is even a medical term for this…sarcopenia. Lifting weights is absolutely necessary to limit or even reverse this process.
So who needs weights wrapped up in a bow and put under the Christmas tree??
1. Weights for Strength training for those over 50 years to limit sarcopenia
To keep your muscles strong as you age, do strength weights training 2-3 x week. Focus on exercises that challenge your major muscles and gradually make them harder over time. Think of it as training for everyday life — lifting, standing, and moving with strength and confidence
2. Weights to Maintain muscle mass with weight loss medication
Weight loss medication has transformed many people’s health in so many positive ways. However all weight loss includes some muscle loss, it is never just isolated to fat tissue. Also as weight loss medication involves reducing hunger and slowing gastric emptying, people feel less hungry and don’t eat as much. So for muscle quality, people on weight loss medication should be prioritising protein in their diet and performing weights exercises 2-3 x week.
3. Weights for grip strength
Reduced grip strength is one of the first indicators of frailty and dementia. Grip is a primary function of interacting with the world around us. From opening jars, lifting shopping, swinging a golf stick and gardening – our hands and gripping with them are extremely important for quality of life. As you have to grip weights to lift them up, grip strength is very easily maintained with a variety of weight lifting exercises.
If you don’t use it, you lose it
This old saying has never been more apt! As well as weights given as a present, consider gym memberships or some new active wear so they can look good lifting their weights! Be proactive to be amazing in your older years. It is never too late to start. In our gym in the Physio clinic we can also help you work out where to begin if it has been a while!
