Women
of all ages often question the benefits of strength
training. A lot of research has proven the vast
physiological and psychological benefits that this
type of exercise has for you. However, many older
women do not believe they can perform this sort
of exercise and quite honestly, think of every excuse
not to. Don't you think that it would be great if
you were capable of doing the many leisure time
activities you want to throughout your entire life?
Here's
a summary for you of some research on this topic:
1. Muscular
strength and endurance of women can increase
significantly through participation in a 12-week
resistance-training program (weight lifting).
2. Skeletal
muscle of women in all age groups adjusts to
resistance training by increasing strength and
size. The major difference is the increased
length of time required by older women to fully
recovery from weight lifting.
3. Some
older women who walk with the help of walkers
can improve strength necessary to convert from
the use of a walker to the use of a cane through
regular resistance exercise.
4. In
a group of women, 72-94 years of age, I trained
for a 12-week program, three-times a week with
both resistance and cardiovascular exercises,
all more than doubled the strength in their
leg and hip muscles.
5. It
is believed that the main cause of loss of strength
in older women is lack of activity - most notably
progressive resistance overload.
6. Muscle
strength of older women increases quickly during
the initial three months of training, then levels
out.
7. Women
can carry out prolonged moderate to high intensity
resistance training with reasonable compliance
and resulting slow-and fast-twitch muscle fiber
enlargement.
8. Exercise
has shown to be an effective means of weight-control
by increasing energy requirements (at rest and
during exercise), decreasing body fat, and maintaining
metabolically active tissue in healthy women
of all ages.
9. Elastic
tubing, even though heavily promoted as being
effective, is very ineffective at improving
balance, strength, and walking ability in older
women. However, free weights and resistance
exercise in general are effective.
10. Women
of all ages (16 - 68) that I've worked with
over the years with strength and aerobic conditioning
for a minimum of 6 months have shown to increase
strength (5-65%), decrease body fat and increase
fat free mass and have done it without any injury.
Fitness
& exercise stops your muscles from wasting away.
It
doesn't matter if you're 40 years old or 75 years
old. If you don't build muscle, you'll lose muscle.
Exercise
and fitness
programs
have often disregarded the importance and usefulness
of weight lifting for older women.
Why
is added muscular strength so important and why
should women of all ages wish to strength
train
Exercise
and fitness will help you to increase the range
of movement, increase lean muscle, strengthen bones,
muscles, tendons, ligaments, improves your ability
to do everyday, improves health, helps prevent accidents,
injuries, and sickness, and speeds rehabilitation.
Resistance
training helps women tone, shape and strengthen
muscle fibers, minimizing the "fatty marbling" within
the muscle that results in a flabby, weak muscle.
Equally
as important, having more strength and endurance
makes daily activities easier and less tiring, thereby
increasing or maintaining stamina.
In
addition, not only will you increase lean muscle
mass and overall body composition, but the benefits
of exercise
also include increased metabolic rate and increased
bone density.
Women
who exercise on a regular basis with both resistance
training (weight lifting) and cardiovascular
exercise
are able to perform more work without tiring and
are less likely to sustain fractures resulting from
osteoporotic conditions. So, what happens when the
body you once knew begins to acquire a different
shape and doesn't respond to activities and physical
exertion as it once did when you were 20 years old?
Unfortunately, you can't change the fact that you'll
age, but you can control, to some degree, the rate
at which you age. A lot of women unwisely decrease
their activity level as they grow older, assuming
it’s proper to grow old gracefully. Regrettably,
they grow old ungracefully, with considerable restrictions
on their mobility, self-reliance, and quality of
life. From adulthood into middle age, you will lose
approximately 6.6 pounds of lean muscle mass during
each decade of life. Numerous studies indicate that
muscle mass may decline by 20% to 40% between age
20 and age 65.
These
changes have been attributed to a reduction in muscle
fiber number and size and reduced nerve innervation,
and are correlated with functional declines in muscle
strength and endurance in older women. As you grow
older, physical activity, particularly strength
training, appears to be the best method to decelerate
the adverse effects of aging. This
is strength for living! The few minutes of work
you do with weights a few days a week will equal
benefits every hour of your day and night, awake
and asleep.
While
you may now realize that weight training is something
that must be done, you may be at a loss when it
comes to selecting proper exercise equipment to
help you reach your goals. Unfortunately, not every
one has the time to go to a gym 4 - 5 days a week.
Most gyms today are very over crowded so you can't
get a proper workout
in anyway. This is one of the reasons why so many
women have chosen to buy exercise equipment and
workout at home.
But
with all of the thousands of different pieces of
exercise equipment out there, how are you to know
what to use?
Not
all equipment is created equal. Just because a salesperson
in an exercise equipment store tells you that you
need it, it doesn't mean that you do.
When
you go into any exercise
equipment store
you'll
see lots and lots of different pieces of fancy,
shiny exercise equipment.
If
the salesperson doesn't sit down with you to discuss
your goals and evaluate them with you, (which none
of these people anywhere has ever done) it's impossible
for them to know what is right for you.
Their
only agenda is to sell you as much as they can,
regardless if it will help you or not!
Remember,
they're just trying to get a sale, they're not interested
in listening to your needs.
For your latest fitness tips contact us at : laquitathompson@jamsource.net
7
Tips to Stay Fit During The Holidays
Weight gain between Thanksgiving and
New Year’s Day is a big concern for most Americans,
but why does this happen?
For many, life is hectic during the holiday season,
stress levels are high, and there doesn’t seem
to be enough time. There are so many things to do:
planning, shopping, parties, traveling, you name
it. This time creates opportunities to have “perfect”
excuses to stop exercising and managing our diet.
William Connor, M.D., professor of medicine at OHSU
School of Medicine, observes: "The overall
clinical impression is that people, after the holidays,
weigh more than before because of feasting and lack
of physical activity."
Let’s face it now, because when January 1st
comes around and you’ve gained 10 pounds, you
may wish you had done something different.
Here are some suggestions to stay fit during the
holidays:
Schedule
appointments with yourself. During the holiday
season we often react more than the rest of the
year. Phone calls, text messages, and last minute
invitations can have us going in directions we
didn’t intend. The number one way to stay
fit during hectic times is to schedule and keep
appointments with yourself - to exercise.
Be
prepared. Keep a gym bag in your car with a workout
towel, tennis shoes, and gym clothes. You never
know when you might be able to use them.
Park
your car far away from your office or the mall.
A brisk walk across the parking lot is an excellent
way to do some cardio.
Use
stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Stairs
are an excellent fat burning exercise.
Do body weight exercises during down times at
work. Whether you are waiting for copies to be
printed, sending a fax, or cooking dinner, do
some exercises when you have a couple of minutes
between your daily duties. Push-ups off the counter,
or free squats and lunges are excellent choices.
Exercise
during commercials. Whether you listen to the
radio or watch television, exercising during commercial
breaks is a great way to get the whole family
involved in staying fit for the holidays.
Expend
more energy - elbow grease – during your
cleaning routines. Whether it’s washing dishes
or cleaning the floor put some extra “sweat
equity” into it.
Remember,
whatever you are doing, do it with meaning and
purpose. To stay fit, treat all your activities
like a workout. Walking across the parking lot,
climbing the stairs, or washing the car should
be done at a brisk pace that keeps your heart
rate up for a sustained period of time.
You will be amazed at the results if you follow the
seven suggestions above. Imagine how good you will
feel in January if you are in better shape than you
were before the holiday season! How would that benefit
your self-esteem?
We
encourage you to view the following sites or submit
The
Spa Health Form to the SPA we will have
a ceritfied Consultant to respond to your questions.
We will also have testimonials by clients who have
gone though the same health issues you are having
now. We hope that their experience will encourage
you to the neccessary step to get better health.
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PRESENCE
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free to ask any questions about any concerns you
may have about your health. Without your presence
we are not able to provide you and others with the
concerns that you may have. Take advantage of the
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help you stay relaxed to find the services you are
seeking. We hope that the following links below
help you to fine the necessary and satisfying information.
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updated with the latest fitness techniques brought
to you by Ms. LaQuita Thompson The SPA Fitness Consultant.
HEALTH
and FITNESS
7
Tips to Stay Fit During The Holidays
