The Importance of Training with Weight
As the body ages, as part of that ageing process we begin to lose muscle. It is important for our overall health that we try to minimise this loss with weight training. These changes can begin at the age of 30.
First and foremost, it is important to understand how this loss can impact the body. Quite often this loss of muscle mass is replaced by fat mass. This change in body composition has also been linked with an increased incidence of insulin resistance. Quite often, bone density begins to decrease and joint stiffness increases. All these changes have probable implications for several conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
There is a lot more to the reason to exercise than just looking good. I think when you are young you look for a quick fix, a short sharp stint of exercise with maximum results. This is fine until you realise that this short sharp approach is not great for your joints as it usually involves jumping up and down. As the body starts to complain you hopefully begin to appreciate that this might not be the best way to keep your body mobile and healthy. It is certainly not sustainable.
This age-related muscle loss is called sarcopenia. After age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% per decade. Most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes.
What can you do about this Loss of Muscle?
It is widely recognised that resistance exercise can counteract these changes. Whilst for some weight training might not be appealing, the benefits of this type of exercise can be life changing.
It will replace the fat mass with muscle, and this will in turn increase your metabolic rate. More muscle needs more energy to function and this is a good story all round. As in turn you will burn more calories, and this will have a positive effect on helping to reduce the fatty tissue around your vital organs.
Pick up a weighted object and try to add that into some of your current exercise routines or reach out to an exercise professional if you seek further guidance on this. Feel the benefits within as little as 4-6 weeks.
For a more in depth read on this subject use the link below.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804956/