(801) 486-1818Studies have shown that after the age of 50, you begin to lose close to 1 – 2% of your body’s
strength through muscle fibers loss EVERY YEAR. This rapid decline can dramatically affect your
quality of life in your latter years. Think about it; losing 2% per year between the age of 50 and
70 is a 40% loss in STRENGTH and POWER and is directly associated with unanticipated falls,
osteoarthritis, stroke, heart disease and mental decline. It’s tough enough getting older without
losing the strength to do the activities you enjoy and have fun with those you love. Here’s some
recent research on how to modify your exercises to get the most from your effort without
hurting yourself.
How to workout in your 50s?
Even though your body can’t replace lost muscle fiber, you can do specific exercises to maintain
the muscle mass you have which will slow down the aging process. The exercises are slow and
purposeful.
Bicep Exercise:
- Start with 50 repetitions of light weight (easy to perform without discomfort)
- 30 second break
- Increase weight, then perform 24 SLOW bicep curls per side: 2 seconds in each direction (up and down) do this 3 times with no more than 30 seconds between sets.
- Finish with the weight you started with. Fully extend your arm (bicep extended), contract the bicep without bending your arm and hold for 60 seconds. This last exercise strengthens the tendon which ids vital as we get older.
Notes:
- Light resistance training (20-60 reps) produced the same gains in muscle volume as high intensity (8-12 reps) lifting. Lifting lighter weight produces more protein for muscle remodeling.
- These types of exercises take a bit of time and will force you to slow down. You should take at least 2 seconds to perform each movement (contract and relax).
- The goal is to get stronger stay injury free.
- Please see our video for 5 simple full body exercises focusing on lighter loads while using higher reps. This will aid in far less injuries and help you maintain your muscle mass.