Results show that very few of us engage in Muscle Strengthening Activities
Unfortunately, over half of us (56%) in Killaloe Ballina do no muscle strengthening activities on any day of the week.
As you age, it’s important to protect your bones, joints and muscles. Not only do they support your body and help you move, but keeping bones, joints and muscles healthy can help ensure that you’re able to do your daily activities and be physically active. Research shows that doing aerobic, muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening physical activity of at least a moderately-intense level can slow the loss of bone density that comes with age.
Muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. Gaining more muscle through resistance training has many benefits, and is an essential element if you want to prevent weakening of your bones (osteoporosis), age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), limited range of motion, aches, and pains. Staying active and maintaining strong muscles becomes increasingly important as you get older to prevent chronic health problems and injuries from falls.
Strength Training Becomes MORE Important with Age
The Healthy Killaloe Ballina survey found that a whopping 71% of people aged 65 and over do no muscle strengthening activities.
It’s important to realize as you age, your muscle strength and tone will have declined. If you’re not engaging in strength or resistance training, chances are you’ll become increasingly less functional with age, which can take a toll on your quality of life. There are many benefits of muscle strengthening activities
- Increase in Energy Levels
The result is higher energy levels and long-lasting stamina.You tend to have better sleep cycles and improved mental concentration.
- Physical Strength
With higher muscle mass and optimal muscular strength, you tend to function for longer periods of time without getting tired.
- Better Health
Latest research studies indicate that muscular strength and regular physical activity is required to maintain overall health and well-being.
- Enhanced Posture
With higher muscular strength, you can enhance your posture and alignment of connective tissue.
- Decrease of Injury
Strong muscles are better able to adapt to the physical as well as environmental stressors. This also helps in decreasing the risk of injury in sudden or repetitive movements.
- Healthier when Old
Strong muscles also contribute to the strong bones and joints by promoting healthy remodeling of bones with advancing age. In this regard, it is noteworthy that individuals who have strong muscles and those who continue to work-out to maintain muscular strength tend to age slowly and are at lesser risk of developing fractures, osteoporosis or other defects of bone mineral density.
- Prevention of Diseases
Promoting muscle mass may help with certain medical conditions:
- Cardiovascular Diseases.Muscular strength and resistance exercises improve cardiac functioning.
- Breathing and Constipation.Muscular strength helps in promoting breathing functions and prevent the development of constipation.
- Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia.People who have higher muscular strength are less likely to develop hypertension, hyperlipidemia and other similar conditions.
Muscle Strengthening Recommendations
The World Health Organization recommends that adults aged 18 years old and upwards that muscle-strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups for 2 or more days a week.
There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it’s at home or the gym. The activities you choose should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms). You may want to try:
- Attending an exercise class geared towards muscle strengthening activities
- Lifting weights
- Elastic bands
- Working with resistance bands
- Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (push ups, sit ups)
- Heavy gardening (digging, shoveling)
- Yoga
Muscle strengthening activities are very important to our health no matter what your age.
For further information regarding this finding please contact nollaig@clarisfordpark.ie