Strength training is beneficial at all stages in life, but as we age it becomes vital.
An article in the Washington Post this week made this point. This is another example of the benefits of strength training transitioning from the scientific literature – where the benefit have been proven for many years – into the mainstream.
The article extracted a harrowing statistic from the literature that “beginning about age 30, men and women lose muscle mass at about the rate of 10 percent per decade until about 50, when that loss accelerates to 15 percent per decade”. This suggests that without intervention, a 70 year old can expect to have only 58% of the muscle mass they had when they were 30!
This muscle loss results in diminished function, and eventually leads to an earlier loss of independence relative to someone with more muscle.
The great news is that strength training can change this trajectory! By using exercises that utilise lots of muscle mass, and move those muscles through a large range of motion, we can grow back that lost muscle. It can also happen surprisingly quickly.
At Sydney Strength Training we specialise in helping ageing men and women build their strength back. Regardless of starting point, we guarantee a future of more muscle and function!
To find out more about how we can help, click here.
To read the full article click here.