STRENNNNNNGTH.... why we need it. A strong start to 2023
Here’s to a strong 2023.
Well January didn’t hang around for long!
Those who regulary attend my live online classes will know that we started the year hard! Apart from a little recap and revision, January was all about strength. Many of us will have gained a few pounds over the Christmas break and will look to the start of a New Year to shed that unwanted load and typically we assume that cardiovascular (C.V.) exercise will do the job.
Stop right there!
While C.V. exercise is hugely beneficial and has a very important role in our life, it is lean muscle that burns energy and therefor shifts weight. Read that again….
I am a big fan of functional movement and building strength and therefore we have been lifting weights, pulling bands, pushing into loops, working with our own body weight and working hard on muscle strength and endurance. I am a firm believer that Pilates can help with balance, coordination, range of movement with strength being a key part of our practise that can only enhance other areas of exercise, sport and daily activity.
The ACSM guidelines (American College of Sports Medicine aka the fitness bible) advises that everyone over the age of 50 does some form of weight training.
WHY?
Our bodies have a natural method of removing old bone and building new. Over the age of around 50 howevever, we are at risk of losing more than we can replace. After around the age of 50, lean muscle mass starts to reduce by as much as up to 5 to 10% per decade. For women, the Menopause significantly speeds up bone loss and increases the risk of osteoporosis. Oestrogen helps to slow the natural break down of bone and when those hormone levels start to lower and drop, bone density is direclty affected.
Activities that stress the bones will push the bone forming cells into working harder. Pushing, pulling and load bearing will lead to stronger bones. Research shows that working against resistance also promotes growth and strength in ligaments and tendons.
You are NEVER TOO OLD TO START
One thing that infuriates me is to define people by age. Ernestine Shepherd (@ernieshepherd) started lifting weights at the age of 56 and is now the world’s oldest female body builder at the age of 86.
Joan MacDonald (@trainwithjoan) is an inspirational wonder who started training seriously at 70 and at 75 years old is 4 stone lighter and a huge social media influencer with a strong healthy body that defies her age.
Back to that weight though. A very common misconception is that muscle weighs more than fat.
No it doesn’t.
A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat which is the same as a pound of feathers or a pound of rocks.
However… muscle is more DENSE than fat therefore it takes up less room. When we say we want to lose weight, what we actually mean is we want to reduce body fat. We don’t want to lose blood, water, internal organs, muscle, bone density etc. etc. … We want to lose body fat and essentially VISCERAL fat that is stored deep in the belly and wraps around our internal organs.
We know that the energy in food and drinks is measured by calories and if we take in more energy than we use, then we store the excess, and it converts into fat. Reverse the process and reverse the results.
GREAT NEWS HERE – lean muscle tissue needs more energy therefore burns more calories even when we are resting . Our BASAL METABLIC RATE is the rate at which we burn energy at rest. When we build more muscle, two things happen. We reduce overall body measurements and enjoy a leaner and stronger body as well as increasing our BMR.
This means that when we are lying on the sofa watching our favourite drama (Happy Valley season 3 OMG), our body is burning more energy even at rest.
Did you know that body builders preparing for competition will set their alarm to get up and eat during the night - that is how much energy or calories their muscles are burning (and you won't see a single one of them on the treadmill!).
With a lean and strong body you reduce the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers as well as with regular exercise you improve your spatial awareness, your coordination, motor skills and improve balance and reduce the risk of falls. Did I mention the release of those feel good hormones that will leave you feeling more positive and energised.
Grab a couple of tins of soup or fill up two empty milk cartons with water or invest in some inexpensive weights (middle of Lidl has currently got dumbbells and resistance bands) and add some strength work to your day. As little as 5 minutes a day will produce positive results.
Don't just think about lifting weights though. Throw in some. hills and rugged terrain to your weekly walking, take up swimming and work against the resistance of water and think of using your own body weight for resistance.
Please remember to increase your protein and include more fibre rich foods to aid muscle repair and growth so if (when!) you are upping the exercise, turn to healthy sources such as lean meat, oily fish, nuts, seeds, lentils, tofu, quinoa, eggs and leafy greens. NHS guidelines promote the need for 0.75g of protein for every kilo you weigh and to increase that if you are doing strength training type work.
You are NEVER too old, it is NEVER too late and you will feel stronger, more positive and more confident with every workout….and enjoy a couple of biscuits with your coffee knowing they will be burnt up and gone before you know it.
Psssst…. Remember that balance is key.Make sure you build in a day or 2 of active recovery every week. Always factor in some stretching and gentle mobility and find time for some mindfulness or how about you try some basic meditation or treat yourself to a massage.
What are you waiting for? Go on - just 2 mins of lifting some weights to get you started.. xx
