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NEWS
Getting
a Grip on Strength Training
There's
no question that aerobic exercise such as walking and swimming
is an effective way to help your heart, cut risk for diabetes,
and possibly even lower risk of some cancers. But leading
exercise physiologists report that by middle age, weight training
may be just as important to maintaining quality of life by
preventing age-related loss of muscle and bone. Despite these
recommendations, it is hard for the average person to know
whether they should take up the activity because of the many
myths surrounding weight training.
Some
people assume lifting weights is only for people in top physical
condition. In reality, weight-lifting is a great way for someone
who's out of shape to gain the strength necessary to begin
a program of aerobic exercise. Beginners should choose a starting
weight that keeps lifting challenging but never uncomfortable.
As with any exercise program, people who are over-50, sedentary,
or have high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes
or osteoporosis should check with their doctor before they
begin. Contrary to popular opinion, age is not a limiting
factor in weight training. A growing number of studies focusing
on the results of strength training in elderly nursing home
patients, report stronger bones, better balance, and a decreased
need for canes and walkers.
If you are concerned that strength training might be too hard
on your joints, exercise physiologists suggest that proper
weight training can actually ease the pressure on joints by
strengthening the surrounding muscles. A fear of developing
bulky muscles should also not deter one from weight training.
Body builders earn their big muscles with long workouts using
extra-heavy weights. Training with lighter weights, however,
will tighten and tone sagging muscles without adding bulk.
It may also help to improve posture and lessen backaches.
If your primary goal is to lose weight, you may be disappointed
to learn that muscle weighs more than fat. So, in terms of
lower numbers on the scale, strength training may not do what
aerobic exercise can. However, strength training can help
in re-shaping your body both by toning sagging muscles and
by creating more calorie-burning muscle tissue.
Weight training equipment can seem out of reach, but it may
be closer than you think. The machines seen in fancy health
clubs can also be found in most YMCAs, where membership fees
are usually reasonable and flexible. These machines make it
easier to maintain good form as you lift. If you choose to
workout at home, you can use a leg cuffs and dumbbells; even
food cans, milk jugs filled with sand, or elastic exercise
bands can be used as weight equipment.
A strength training regimen does not mean that you can forget
about your current walking program, stretching routine, or
healthy diet. Weight training can't replace stretching for
its flexibility benefits, nor is it a substitute for the heart
health and overall fitness benefits of aerobic exercise. No
matter what exercise you do, you won't maintain a healthy
weight if you eat more calories than you burn. Weight training's
muscle and bone building benefits will also be lost without
the protein, calcium and other nutrients that come from a
balanced diet.
Weight training can't do it all. But it's a valuable piece
in the puzzle of overall good health, that includes regular
physical activity and a balanced, low-fat diet.
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