Benefits of strength training for young and old

Jenson Rajkumar *

When we gain weight and look at ourselves in the mirror, the first thing that pops up in our mind is ‘Oh man! I need to start doing lots of cardiovascular exercise’.

The same goes for people who are in their late 30s, 40s or even 50s, cardiovascular exercises like walking seem to be the ‘only’ solution to our weight loss program.

That’s amazing, but what we miss out with cardio exercises is the benefits we gain from strength training/resistance training, especially as we grow older.

As we grow older, we lose muscle and thereby lose our strength. This phenomenon is called Sarcopenia. We delay that process by working all our muscles on a regular basis.

But is resistance training/strength only restricted to free weights? ‘My answer’ to that is NO.Free weight training is fantastic but bodyweight exercises will do the job as well.

Is it limited to only a certain age group? Again, ‘my answer’ is NO. Children from the age of 6 years can be introduced to resistance training.

Strength Training or Resistance Training can also help us in:

1. Developingoverall body strength, balance and posture
2. Developing muscles and bone density
3. Increasing metabolism
4. Helping in our day-to-day activities
5. Helping us avoid chronic injuries, especially our lower back and everything centred around the core muscles

And that is what the Fitness Sessions at Sports Plus (Youth Fitness and Adult Fitness) have always been centred around, bodyweight strength for muscular strength, coordination and balance as well as cardiovascular exercises for a healthy heart.

Not only are our participants getting stronger physically (including the ever so important core and leg muscles) but mentally too. Along with that comes the development of self-confidence, resilience, mental strength, stress reduction and developing healthy habits as well as mindset.

So, the next time you hear someone saying that strength training is not important for the young children, adolescents and the old, let them know that’s not the case.

If they still don’t trust that, Sports Plus is there to change that mindset. Come for a free trial session to find out.