& Personal

Age means a natural reduction of the amount of muscle on our bodies, which means a reduction in our strength too. Of course, this means a change to your figure, but more importantly less strength also means decreased motor control and balance – which means higher chances of falling.

Strength training can reduce your risk of injury in general by maintaining and improving your strength and coordination.

Age impacts our brain too as brain function declines. After 40, our brain function declines by about 5% per decade, and accelerates once we hit about 70. While there are no definite numbers, it has been repeatedly shown that those who maintain their fitness see markedly less decline in brain function.

Trainer

When you’re starting strength exercise, or you’re going back to it after a break; there are a few things to keep in mind (regardless of your age):

• Start light. Don’t let your mind convince you that “some is good, so more must be better”. Start easier than you think you should. Gain confidence and skill before making things harder.

• Keep the intensity low. It’s always better to do less and to do it consistently, than it is to go all out too quickly or too often and hurt yourself.

• Work on mobility. The older you are, the more likely you are to have some kind of injury or postural deficiency which makes some positions harder for you to achieve. Keep working on your mobility.

In summary; you are never too old to improve your strength – it is inactivity that we should be wary of! www.fitbiztraining.co.uk