6 Health Issues; 1 Solution - Strength Training

My clientele has been mostly adults ages 50-85, and when I have younger clients, often the reason they hired me is because they have unique and chronic health concerns that make the "go big and go hard" workout programs downright dangerous.

I've been told, "when I saw that you work with older adults, I knew you'd be safe!"

Also, it's common for clients come to me when they've gotten the scary diagnosis or the "you're on the way to getting XYX" talk from their doctors.

In those cases, we start with slow, safe programming, and ramp things up when the evidence shows it's time.

The exciting news - sometimes we can reverse a diagnosis! Other times, the goal is to maintain their current status and work to slow the progression.

But one thing is for sure - strength training helps! A LOT.

If you haven't gotten the scary diagnosis or finger-wagging talk yet, that's even better news for you.

Commit to a sensible weightlifting program and you may ward off a frightening diagnosis for many, many years - maybe even forever!

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When most people think about getting in shape, they think about walking and running. Those are excellent choices indeed.

But the real magic is in strength training.

Strength training - lifting with weights - gives you some of the same benefits of walking and running, but it gives you so much more too.

Sculpted muscles? Check.

But for today's purposes, let's talk about strength training's effects on chronic diseases and scary health concerns like the following:

• Osteoporosis and its precursor Osteopenia

• Heart Disease

• Cancer

• Type II Diabetes

• Falling

• Sarcopenia

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OSTEOPOROSIS and OSTEOPENIA

Lifting weights isn't just about building muscle—it's about building stronger, more resilient bones. Research consistently shows that strength training creates the mechanical stress your bones need to stay healthy, helping improve bone mineral density in critical areas like the lumbar spine and femur—two of the most common sites of fractures.

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HEART DISEASE

According to Dr. Beth Frates, clinical assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, strength training improves the many conditions that lead to heart disease; namely, obesity, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.

Researchers have found that regular strength training lowers the risk of high blood pressure by 32% and the risk of metabolic syndrome by 29%.

That's powerful data!

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CANCER

In the biggest study of its kind, The University of Sydney studied over 80,000 adults to see which form of exercise was more effective in preventing cancer.

The results? Strength Training.

It's believed that strength training lowers the levels of certain hormones such as estrogen and insulin, and this is good because elevated levels of those hormones have been shown to correlate with cancer growth.

Strength training also:

• boosts your immune system and lowers inflammation

• prevents loss of muscle during treatment as well as increasing it afterward

• reduces cancer-related fatigue

(That said, there will be days when you should not exercise. Be sure to discuss any new exercise regimens with your doctor.)

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TYPE 2 DIABETES

Particularly exciting, lifting weights helps manage diabetes better!

The results from a study from 2023 discovered that participants with type 2 diabetes who did strength training alone showed more improvements in blood sugar levels than those who did cardio alone.

That said, it's been shown that a combination of aerobic exercise (cardio) AND strength training brings the most benefits. So keep walking, running or swimming and add two or three 45-minute strength training sessions!

Boom, the perfect program.

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FALLING

I once heard it said, "every older adult is just one fall or one serious illness away from their final demise."

That's a very sobering thought, so let's work on that, shall we?

Falls are considered a significant public health problem because they lead to a decline in functional ability and an impaired quality of life.

The older you are and the unhealthier you are, the harder it is to recover from a fall.

That's where strength training comes in!

Commit to weekly workouts to get stronger, improve your mobility and balance, increase your stamina, and even boost your confidence and mood!

Several clients have reported that they are much steadier on their feet, even when navigating complicated terrain like hills, curbs, and uneven sidewalks.

And some clients have fallen but didn't break anything, thanks to building stronger bones and better coordination!

(Yes, there are "good" ways to fall and "not so good" ways.)

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SARCOPENIA

Sarcopenia is the natural loss of muscle due to aging. It begins in your 30's - yikes! - and unless you begin intervention by lifting weights, it will continue, even if you change nothing else.

The good news though - there is robust evidence demonstrating that strength training, done right, will improve your muscle strength and muscle mass!

Yes, you can build muscle at any age. Just ask my clients ages 65-85, who sometimes report seeing muscle definition for the first time! (And some compliments from friends and partners too!)

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CONCLUSION

You already knew all this. So why, pray tell, are you not lifting weights?

It's not because you don't know the benefits.

It's not because there aren't myriad programs you could do.

It's not even because you lack willpower.

It's often because you lack SUPPORT.

And that's where I come in! Let me help you find the right program so you can begin to experience alllllll the perks of building muscle!

Go here to book a consultation - I look forward to our chat! :-)