Embrace Aging with Strength and Purpose

Aging is unavoidable. However, we have a choice: we can age well or not so well. I've been a personal trainer and yoga instructor in the Boston area for 15 years. Recently, I noticed that many of my long-term clients and students are 60, 70 and 80 years old plus. They are lively, strong, and independent, having exercised with me for 10-15 years and likely before that. They chose to take control of their aging process by being proactive. Purposeful movement has transformed their aging experience. Strength training is crucial for aging well. While aging is inevitable, a decline in quality of life is not.

To begin, simply start moving more than you currently do. After some time, you can develop an exercise routine similar to my clients. The reward will be a quality of life that allows you to stay active, continue your activities into your 90s, and maintain your independence for as long as possible.

The World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health#:~:text=Common%20health%20conditions%20associated%20with,%2C%20diabetes%2C%20depression%20and%20dementia.) notes that common conditions in older age include osteoarthritis, diabetes, depression, and dementia. Research indicates that strength training can help mitigate the effects of these conditions.

STRENGTH TRAINING

• Inactive adults lose muscle mass at a rate of 3% to 8% per decade.

• Less muscle means fewer calories burned, leading to increased fat accumulation.

• Ten weeks of strength training can increase muscle by 3 pounds of body weight.

• Gaining muscle mass from ten weeks of strength training results in more calories burned, reducing fat weight by nearly 4 pounds.

• Benefits of strength training include enhanced physical performance, functional independence, cognitive abilities, and self-esteem.

• Strength training may help prevent and/or manage diabetes.

• Strength training may improve cardiovascular health.

• Strength training may enhance bone density.

• Strength training may boost overall musculoskeletal function by alleviating back pain and arthritis discomfort.

• Strength training reverses specific aging factors in skeletal muscle (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/).

Strength training increases muscle mass, allowing us to continue our activities. It has also been shown to enhance brain function. A study in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity (https://eurapa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s11556-019-0217-2) demonstrated that strength training significantly improved brain function in healthy older adults, those with mild cognitive impairment, and those in early dementia stages. Another study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2793806) found that low muscle mass in older adults was significantly linked to faster executive function decline over three years.

The 40 Minute Workout is a biomechanically aligned strength training program.

Three classes a week = full body fitness training by week's end. 

Mo

Monday

Foam Roll/Core

Wednesday

Foam Roll-Stretch Upper Body

Friday

Foam Roll-Stretch Lower Body

Classes stream live on Zoom at 6:30 am and are available on The 40 Minute OnDemand Channel by 8 am.

Take charge of your health! Join us for The 40 Minute Workout. Click the button below.

Take charge of your health! Join us for The 40 Minute Workout. Click the button below.