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WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR MUSCLES AND BONES AFTER 40?

Typically, muscle mass and strength increase steadily from birth and until 30 to 35 years of age. We don’t have to think about it much. After that, without regular use, our muscles weaken and lose mass. This age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is called sarcopenia. After age 35 we lose 3 – 8% of our muscle every decade! Muscle is lost far more easily and quickly than it’s built, so a consistent strength training routine is crucial, especially as you get older.

The benefits of building and maintaining our muscular strength, especially over age 40, are many. Research shows aerobic exercise in isolation reduces your all-cause mortality by 16 percent and strength training only reduces it by 21 percent, whereas if you do both, you reduce your all-cause mortality by 29 percent. Besides potentially living longer, here’s what else you can gain from cardio and weight training.

Why Exercise after age 40?

#1 Counteracts impact of estrogen

Typically, your body loses muscle mass as you age. As noted above, this is called sarcopenia. Menopause is associated with a natural decline in estrogen, which increases visceral fat mass, decreases bone mass density, muscle mass, and strength. With less muscle means greater weakness and less mobility, older people have an increased risk of falls and fractures. Menopause also negatively impacts your fat distribution. Lifting weights may counteract the impact on your body as it ages and loses estrogen.

#2 Increases your strength for everyday activities

One of the key benefits of an ongoing strength training program is the positive impact on your every day activities. Anything that requires lifting or moving will be easier. Lifting grocery bags, moving a lamp, and carrying laundry up the stairs – everyday activities become easier as your body gets stronger., This is a very unique part of strength training that gets little notice.

#3 Improves bone density

As you age, you lose bone density and this increases the risk of possible fractures. By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Lifting weights promotes a lean body mass which normally decreases as you age. If you don’t add strength training to your routine, your lean body mass will decline and a fatter body takes its place.

#4 Improves your MooD

Weight training, especially at moderate levels, reduces anxiety, and improves self-esteem. In fact, the latest research shows that strength training significantly reduced symptoms of depression (among research participants). The improvement on mood occurred regardless of improvements in strength.

Lifting weights boosts your mood!

Additional research shows that it can reduce symptoms of anxiety, too. A 2017 study published in the journal Sports Medicine, concluded that resistance training “significantly improves anxiety symptoms among both healthy participants and participants with a physical or mental illness.”

#5 Reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes

Weight training can be especially helpful for controlling blood sugar levels. Through strength training and building more muscles, your body will transport glucose from your bloodstream to your muscles in a more efficient manner and needs less insulin to do so.

#6 Lowers your injury risk

When you strength train, you’ll increase strength, not just in your muscles, but also in your connective tissues and joints. This will help reduce injury and can relieve pain from osteoarthritis. In fact, building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. 

Build your arms with dumbbells and reveal toned arms in no time!

Research indicates that resistance training promotes growth and/or increases the strength of ligaments, tendons, bones, and joints. Also, studies show that resistance training can cause increased bone mineral content which helps in the prevention of skeletal injuries. Investigations to date suggest resistance training can aid in injury prevention. Other “overuse” injuries like with knees, elbows and shoulders, experienced by swimmers and tennis players, may also be reduced with specific resistance training exercises.

Swimming is low impact, but you’ll need to weight train to reduce your risk of injury.

#7 Burns more calories

Research shows that when you strength train, you burn calories for up to 24 hours after a workout. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn even while you are relaxing. That’s why when you increase your muscle mass, you boost your resting metabolism and your body will burn more calories. Cardio and weight training burn calories in different ways. Weight training in fact has a more long-lasting impact on burning calories than cardio workouts.

#8 Improves your posture

Similar to moving in new ways, by lifting weights you’ll also get better posture as you strengthen your back, shoulders, and even core. All of these areas work together and create a better posture for you. Lifting weights strengthens your back, shoulder, and core muscles, which are all essential to standing with proper posture and preventing lower back pain.

#9 Tones your body

Build your muscles by lifting dumbbells consistently.

Yes, it’s true. Weight training can tone your muscles. The leaner you are, the more toned your muscles will look. So the results of your weight training are revealed more significantly with a lower-fat body mass. With heavy enough resistance and your body is on its way to a leaner you. You’ll see a toned physique in a few months. Remember, the most important thing in any training program is consistency.

#10 Stretches your body and muscles

Weight lifting stretches your body in ways that you don’t normally do. A strength training program increases the strength of not just muscle but connective tissue and tendons, too. Naturally, a strength training program that incorporates a variety of weights can be as effective as any flexibility (or stretching) session. Through a weight-lifting routine, you will move your body in different ways, like over your head or your sides, that you just don’t do in your everyday activities. 

 

These movements result not just in building strength, but also in providing stretching opportunities as you move. Be thoughtful with these movements to get a full stretch when possible.

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