Is Lifting Heavy Weights After 40 a Good Fitness Idea?

Is Lifting Heavy Weights After 40 a Good Fitness Idea?

After the age of 40, you’re on the downhill slope to the “golden years”. However, some would say there’s nothing “golden” about the senior years. You could start to lose your eyesight, your health may start to fail, your hair begins to turn gray and, on top of all that, you will lose muscle mass. But there is something that can be done about the latter. As you get into your 40’s, lifting heavy weights can help you gain bone mineral density as well as build lean muscles. Lifting heavy weights means that, for a specific exercise, you should be lifting about 75% of the maximum weight you can possibly lift for one repetition. It’s crucial that you perform some sort of weight training exercise within your weekly fitness program—particularly if you’re an older woman because you run the risk of developing osteoporosis. Heavy weight lifting has a few benefits to your body as well as your muscles.

Burns Fat and Increases Hormones

As long as the weights you lift are heavy enough, your weight training routine will boost your fat-burning rate and might proceed to burn calories for roughly the next 48 hours! Your body produces growth hormones which assist in strengthening muscle mass, a healthy bone structure and immune function support; but, sadly, that decreases as you get older. However, heavy weight lifting can encourage growth hormone development. Another hormone that will be produced less as you grow older is testosterone. Your body needs testosterone in order to preserve wound repair and healing, immune function, lean muscle mass and sexual function. Lifting heavy weights while performing vigorous compound exercises can assist with making testosterone.

Increases Your Metabolism

Some effort is involved when it comes to strength training to keep those muscles lean; but doing so will raise your metabolism. Performing weight training exercises for the muscles of your hips and back will make them grow stronger and promote good posture. Try doing deadlifts or maybe some resistance training such as squats. In fact, just performing deadlifts will strengthen your legs, back and abs and are great exercises to do no matter what your age. Let’s face it, no one wants to be in their senior years and unable to bend over to pick something up off of the floor!

Usually, you have to be way over 40 to get sarcopenia, but eventually everyone will get it. What’s sarcopenia? It’s simply loss of muscle due to the aging process. But if you start your strength and resistance training now, you’ll develop a good habit that will stay with you for the rest of your life and you’ll build lean muscle. Just think, if you begin your heavy weight lifting program right now, you’ll lessen your health care expenses later on. So get out there and start your strength training routine—your body will thank you for it!