Staying active throughout your life is as close as youโll likely get to the fountain of youth. More specifically, weight training will improve your quality of life from strengthening your body and mind to increasing flexibility, and the number of calories you burn.
โDoing something a day is better then doing nothing. Everyone starts and started somewhere,โ encourages Courtneyย Vetter, Owner of Waterfront Fitness & Pilatesย in Barrie. Make sure you donโt rush into your exercise and have a spotter to ensure youโre doing it correctly.
Start with weight training you enjoy such as group classes, or one-on-one training. โThis is always a good starting point.
Not just for the pure enjoyment of the activity, but the consistency youโll put into doing it. That consistency over time will create momentum and compound interest in your health thatโll last a lifetime. Find someone who can teach you and knows what theyโre doing. Thereโs a lot of obscurity in the fitness world and you need to do your homework on who you choose as your teacher or coach. Start slow and steady. Be patient with your progress. Donโt worry about what the other person next to you is doing. Make it fun!โ explains Tom Swales, Physiotherapist/Strength Coach/Clinic Owner at Concept of Movement Sports Performance & Rehabilitation Centre in Barrie.
Thereโs a misconception weight training will bulk you up, but it requires eating lots of food, stimulating muscle damage, lifting frequently, and causing metabolic stress. Plus, women have 10 โ 20 times less testosterone than men, so bulking up is tough, says Swales.
โListen to your body! If your body isnโt feeling it, please donโt lift heavy, or choose a different way of training, or take a rest dayโ advises Vetter.
Muscle mass naturally decreases as we age. Resistance training can prevent and reverse this muscle loss. โThe tension and compression produced by the resistance of external weights, and the pulling from the muscles and tendons causes a much-needed bending in the long bones that helps to stimulate bone formation and help prevent the onset of osteoporosis.
Weight training and increasing overall strength is correlated to a decreased risk of falls, increase in longevity, and greater resiliency to injury,โ educates Swales. A 15-year study concluded strengthย training is significantly associated with decreased overall mortality.ย
Youโll improve your posture, stress management, relaxation, concentration, increase your lung capacity, tone your abdomen, lower back, hips, and buttocks. Also, eat a well-balanced diet, says Vetter. โHigh protein foods are very important for gaining muscle. Carbohydrates and fats are also necessary sources of energy. This fuels your brain.โ
Swales says, โThe best advice I can give is to see a nutritionist or dietician who can educate you on what may be best for your unique body type, genetic background, and lifestyle. Some form of assessment or movement screen should be done prior to lifting any weights so you know what your starting point is and if there are any imbalances in your body that may predispose you to an injury.โ
LOCAL LINKS
Waterfront Fitness + Pilates
waterfrontfitnesspilates.ca
Concept of Movement Sportsย Performance & Rehabilitation Centre
conceptofmovement.com
