Strength training is a type of training that has become very important in recent years due to the results it has achieved in terms of improving physical fitness and health.
After a certain age, muscle mass, bone mass, cognition, etc., progressively decrease. It has been observed that performing this type of training from a certain age, it can delay and even improve the physical and cognitive state of the elderly.
Next, we are going to explain why and the keys why people over 50 years of age should train strength.
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control the technique
The first thing to know is that the vast majority of injuries occur due to accidents. In that case, we recommend two things.
The first is that you supervise the technique in the exercises, and the second is that the technique is always prioritized over the weight.
It is normal that each time you want to lift more, because this will allow you to progress, but if it is done at the expense of technique, it is more than likely that this will lead to an injury.
Speaking of technique, although it is generally recommended that the weight be lifted quickly and explosively, in the case of older people, we recommend that this technique be slower so you can exercise good motor control over the exercises.
After all, at this stage, the hormonal system decreases, so testosterone levels are not as high as someone younger. Testosterone is the main hormone that will influence muscle mass gains, and if it is not elevated, strength will be gained mainly by improving neuromuscular coordination, that is, the way in which your brain recruits muscle fibers to generate contractions.
Include variety in exercises
It would be necessary to include variety in the exercises, since if you always work the same ones, can create a lot of stress on certain muscles and joints, causing problems and worsening performance.
At first, the best thing to do in order not to load the body too much is to add only one multi-joint exercise per session so as not to generate much fatigue, and the rest of the exercises that are multi-joint, although not many, since it is not known what volume of training they are able to tolerate.
It would not be convenient to perform exercises that have to use the body weight as resistance to overcome. It is possible that after training for a while, there could be room, but at first it is not recommended.
control the intensity
The intensity, at the beginning, should be a maximum of 70% 1RM. At least it is recommended that you rest, at least 1 minute.
Within this section, it is important to take into account the realization of the structural exercisess, which are those in which the column is compressed axially and that it can pose a huge risk to the integrity of the spine if it is done poorly.
For example, exercises such as the squat or military press, always seek the supervision of someone qualified until it is considered that the technique is performed correctly.
breaks
It is also very important to plan breaks, since an older person will not have the same recovery capacity as a younger person, making it possible for there to be an increase in injuries or muscle or joint pain.
Although this must be individualized, since there are no general guidelines for everyone, the most correct thing would be to start training 2 days a week, especially, to see the technique, and move to 3 or even 4 days a week, as long as the intensity and volume of each training session is adequate.
Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a bone tissue disorder characterized by loss of bone density, causing a greater number of fractures, especially in women.
Strength training has been shown to be able to keep your bones stronger and stronger. This is due to the hormonal responses generated by strength training, which cause an increase in bone density and, therefore, avoid diseases related to bone mineralization.
Despite this, training must be well planned, since otherwise and adding more load than it would touch, the risk of fracture, especially in the spine, hip and knees, would increase considerably.
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