Importance of strength training, especially for women

Around 30% of adults over the age of 70 report difficulty with walking, getting out of a chair or climbing stairs. One reason for this decline in strength as we age is the age related loss of muscle mass and strength, known as Sarcopenia. Typically, muscle mass and strength increase steadily from birth and reach their peak at around 30-35 years of age. After that muscle power and performance decline slowly and linearly at first and then more rapidly after age 65 for women and 70 for men.

Applying a load to a muscle that is heavy enough to cause the muscle to adapt increases strength, with either weights, body weight, a suspension trainer or bands. Strength training builds better bones, keeps our joints in proper alignment and helps to reduce the risk of injury. Exercising regularly is essential to maintain bone strength as we age, bone is living tissue and changes over time in response to the forces placed upon it. Training regularly means that our bones adapt by building more bone and becoming denser.

As osteoporosis affects more women than men, particularly after menopause when bone loss is accelerated, strength training is especially important for older women. As well as maintaining bone mass, strength training helps to improve our quality of life by supporting aging joints and maintaining good posture.

Weight training leads to an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in fat mass. Increasing lean tissue also helps us to stay slim as muscle is metabolically active tissue that requires energy to maintain, where as fat tissue is not.