Every people, no matter what the age is ,be young or old, should be doing some strength training activities regularly. This could be anywhere, be at the gym, or at the home using very little piece of equipment. Resistance bands and swiss balls, small weights, water and even one’s own body weight can be used as a resistance when designing a strength training program.

So what’s the point in discussing such points here?If you haven’t participated in a strength training program, why should you start now?

Here are some important reasons strength training makes a change in your quality of life:

• The greater amount of strength your muscles have would make it easier to get groceries out of the car, get a package off the cabinet shelf, …..the list goes on and on!
• The stronger and more tolerant your muscles, the balancing is sturdier. This helps in keeping you safe in your daily activities, also decreases the risk of falls or accidents.
• On an average, Adults lose somewhere between five and seven pounds of lean muscle every decade after crossing the age of 20. Strength training helps in preventing this muscle loss, and rebuilding what you may have initially lost.
• Inactivity and aging leads to decrements in bone density, resulting in brittleness. Studies show that consistent strength training increases bone density and also prevent osteoporosis.
• Strength training is beneficial for the prevention and treatment of existing high blood pressure by allowing the heart to beat more efficiently.
• Strength training increases the body’s metabolic rate (BMR), resulting in the body to burn more calories throughout the day. This aids significantly in long term weight management.
• Reduces lower back pain. Research shows that strength training can also increase low back strength and alleviate low back pain.

Here are some principles to remember when putting together a program:

Start by training for strength 2 days/week, increment it up to 3 days/week for more challenge.

Make sure you have at least 1 day rest in between each consecutive session.

Start with 2-3 exercises each for lower body, upper body and 1-2 for core exercises (abs, lower back). As you progress, you can increase up to 2 and then 3 sets.

Adding additional sets, rest 30 seconds to around a minute in between each one.Never hold your breath during the exercises.

Always exhale when applying or exerting force (on the hard part of the movement).Always warm up dynamically before and stretch statically after each session.Always pay attention to proper form and technique, these two are very important for injury prevention and producing progressive results.

When selecting a weight, it should be at least heavy enough that you feel the muscle working and the difficulty getting increased as you get to the 15th repetition. The weight should be that much heavy that you can do 15 repetitions without experiencing any pain or breaking proper form.

Strength training should never be painful! If you experience any pain, stop the exercise immediately(be it that the set is complete or not).No matter how old you are, you have lots to gain from regular strength training.

Just do remember to consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program.