Strength Training

Regular exercise and physical activity are extremely important and beneficial to long-term health and well-being.

Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity

• Reduce the risk of premature death
• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
• Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
• Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Improve psychological well-being
• Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

Some loss of muscle mass and strength is common as you get older. The medical term for this is sarcopenia. Your muscle strength generally peaks in your 20s and starts to slowly decline in your 30s. A rapid decline then begins after age 60.

Lack of muscle tone and strength can lead to increasing difficulty with everyday tasks, decreased balance and increased risk of falls, and decreased bone density. It may also lead to slower metabolism, leading to weight gain.

It's never too late to fight flabbiness, according to the March issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Much, if not most, of the decrease in muscle mass that occurs with age appears to be related to reduced physical activity. If you exercise, you can maintain significant muscle mass well into your later years.

Dr. Prator or Dr. Carlson, with the assistance of our athletic trainer, can provide exercise options to strengthen all muscle groups. At home, exercises with elastic resistance bands, small dumbbells or even cans of vegetables can be effective. Weight training using equipment at a health club is beneficial, too.

Benefits of Strength Training

• Increased muscular strength
• Increased strength of tendons and ligaments
• Potentially improves flexibility (range of motion of joints)
• Reduced body fat and increased lean body mass (muscle mass)
• Potentially decreases resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure
• Positive changes in blood cholesterol
• Improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity
• Improved strength, balance, and functional ability in older adults