Health & Beauty: strength training

WHY WE NEED TO DO MORE STRENGTH TRAINING

BY RACHEL GARROD

When I was younger the gym didn’t really float my boat. I was active, as most healthy younger people are, but lifting weights was far from my preferred method of exercise. That was probably okay then, but unfortunately agerelated sarcopenia (involuntary loss of muscle mass) is something we can all experience, even if we remain active with walking. After the age of 30 (so young!) we lose around three to eight per cent of our muscle mass over a decade. More recent research suggests that, after the age of 35, unless we intentionally do resistance exercise, we can lose around five per cent of muscle mass per year. Simply walking or cycling is not enough to help prevent this age-related loss (unless we do a lot of it and include hills). This matters because strong muscles are essential for balance, to help prevent bone loss and to help keep the weight off. When muscles are strong they use oxygen more efficiently, putting less strain on your heart and your lungs. This improvement in efficiency goes some way to minimising the impact of ageing on our lungs. As muscles work they pull and tug on our bones, stimulating an increase in bone formation. Weight-bearing exercises with high impact like walking or jumping are also good for our bones, but strength training plays an often under-rated beneficial effect. Strong muscles (particularly the leg muscles) are also associated with improved balance and coordination, and many studies have shown reductions in the number of falls with strength training routines. Strength training also has anti-inflammatory effects on the body, as working muscles release chemicals that effectively fight inflammation in our bodies. Strength training (also known as resistance training) doesn´t have to be in the gym, or even with weights. Pilates is considered a strength training activity, as are certain types of yoga and many calisthenic routines. These types of exercise all use the person’s own body weight as resistance. Think of a simple squat exercise where the leg muscles are lifting the weight of the body. One of the best all-round exercises requires no equipment other than a regular dining chair. From a sitting position, and without using your arms to help, stand up straight and tall and repeat as many times as you can. Whilst walking is a great form of aerobic exercise, adding in hills or even bursts of faster walking will help build strength. Understandably, as we age our exercise routine needs to be appropriate, particularly if there are comorbidities such as heart problems or joint pain. And that is where a physiotherapist can make the difference, so please get in touch if you would like help building strength.

Rachel Garrod (Ph.D. Physiotherapist) specialises in physiotherapy for older people with respiratory disease and other chronic illnesses. rachelgarrod1@gmail.com Tel. (+34) 699 501 190 www.betterbreathingphysio.com