March 22, 2022

Strength Training is Magic for People Over 50

Here’s how you can keep doing it safely

This article first appeared on Next Avenue.

In gyms, basements and spare bedrooms across the country, weights are clanking, pulses are pounding, muscles are straining. 数以百万计的人,其中许多人年过50,在举重,伸展运动 heavy-duty resistance bands, doing pushups, lunges and squats.

If you’re one of these dedicated individuals, 你已经体验过力量训练的许多好处, 你会想要尽可能长时间地坚持下去. 在这篇文章中,我们从三位专家那里得到了一些建议来帮助你做到这一点.

The Magic of Strength Training After 50

Whether you consider weightlifting a sport itself, a tool for enhancing your other athletic pursuits, or just part of a well-rounded health regimen, you are doing your body a world of good.

力量训练是对抗最有效的武器 sarcopenia肌肉质量和功能的退化从30多岁开始,50岁后加速.

Beyond that, strength training also helps maintain healthy bone density减少跌倒和骨折,改善胰岛素敏感性和葡萄糖代谢. 最近的研究甚至表明力量训练有 protective effect against the risk of dementia.

Act Your (Biological) Age

“我认为50岁以上的人群从力量训练中受益最大,” said Dave Durell, 63岁的他是达尼丁Rock Solid Fitness的共同所有者, Fla. and creator of StrengthAfter50.com.

That’s certainly been true for Sharon Salomon, of Phoenix, who only started lifting weights in her 60s. 现在,77岁的她是她家乡最年长的女性举重运动员.

“我知道我永远不会像50岁的人那样强壮, but I don’t care,” Salomon said in an interview. “在我这个年纪,我想保持现金足球网哪个好,尽可能强壮. 在我认识的同龄人中,我是唯一一个从未动过膝盖、背部、臀部或手术的人.”

And strong she is. 两年前(她有官方数据的最后一年),她做了一个105磅的卧推, a 155-pound squat, and a 225-pound deadlift.

A big part of Salomon’s success is her consistency. When not in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, she meets with her trainer every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to train.

Consistency is Key

According to Joseph F. 西格诺尔是佛罗里达州迈阿密大学(University of Miami)的运动机能学和运动科学教授., lifting consistently is key to avoiding injury.

“结缔组织和肌肉组织的好处是,当你训练时,你会使这些组织变韧. 因此,对于那些持续进行重量训练的人来说,受伤的风险会大大降低。.

由于COVID-19大流行,所罗门在2020-21年推迟了一年多的时间. When she resumed training (outdoors, just to be safe), “I basically had to start from zero,” she said.

That tactic was right in line with what Signorile, 他也是迈阿密大学神经肌肉研究和主动衰老实验室的主任, recommends for anyone who hasn’t trained in awhile.

Coming back after a long layoff“你必须从一段时间的组织适应开始,”Signorile说. “这意味着保持较低的重量和体积(组数和重复次数), and gradually build up over a month or two,” he added. “People hate to do this, 但我总是告诉他们,‘你现在可以慢慢建立起来, 或者你可以去找你的运动医学医生,他们会告诉你你举不动任何重量. 你需要几个月的休息,而不是几周的时间来逐渐重建.'”

Rethink Your Routine

杜雷尔说,对50岁以上的人来说,另一个重要的安全考虑是运动选择.

他说:“要确保你能安全地退出演习。. 因此,某些杠铃练习应该换成其他的. 而不是做后蹲,选择前蹲或使用腿部按压机. 而不是一个沉重的杠铃卧推没有蹲,使用哑铃.”

他还建议谨慎对待弹道式或增强式运动,如引体向上, 跳远和奥林匹克式的举重,比如抓举和清洁. “If you haven’t been doing them, don’t start, and if you have, 问问自己为什么,并考虑过渡到更传统的举重,” he said.

最后,杜雷尔说:“别再担心炫耀的肌肉了.“这些位于身体前部的肌肉——胸肌, biceps, and rectus abdominis – tend to be over-focused-on. “现在有一整套其他肌肉变得非常重要.这些肌肉包括核心和肩袖的深层肌肉, as well as the entire posterior chain, crucial to good posture and locomotion.

Work with a Pro; Don’t Be Afraid to Say ‘No’

对于50岁以后的力量训练,所罗门还有另外两条建议.

“我早上醒来,就像其他人一样,身体很疼. This body is seventy-seven years old!” she said. “但是我从来没有在举重比赛中受伤,因为我 always had a trainer, and I’m always careful. I’m in touch with my body, and I know when to say no.”

所罗门解释说,如果她在拍摄过程中没有“感觉”, she’ll tell her trainer no and stop.

“在我这个年纪,受伤意味着六个月什么都不做,”她说.

所罗门就是一个活生生的例子,证明50岁以上的人不应该害怕举起重物. 我们只需要通过持续的训练来聪明地对待它, choosing safe exercises and knowing when to say, “not today.”

 

Rashelle Brown

Rashelle Brown 是一个长期的健身专业人士和自由撰稿人,在印刷品和网上有数百个署名. 她是NextAvenue和Active Network的定期撰稿人, 也是《现金足球网哪个好》(特纳出版社)的作者。. 在推特和Instagram上与她联系@RashelleBrownMN. Read More