Why Strength Training Is Crucial for Midlife Women

Sarah Baldassarofrom Alexandria, Virginia, Found a new level strength After resistance training at age 50.

“I would say now that my overall fitness is better than it’s ever been,” said Baldasaro, 52, who credits her fitness trainer for maintaining a state of health that rivals that of her early thirties.

Medical professionals emphasize important role strength training Suitable for middle-aged women. This form of exercise is essential for maintaining bones and muscles healthyespecially after menopausewhen estrogen levels drop, it accelerates bone density loss and leads to muscle mass loss. In addition to these benefits, resistance training can aid in weight management and support fitness goals, such as New Year’s resolutions.

Dr. Christina DeAngelis, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Penn State Health, emphasized its impact, saying, “People underestimate how powerful it can be.”

But what should your workout look like and how do you get started?

weight strength training

Physical therapist Hilary Granat says bone and muscle health are interconnected: When muscles pull on bones during resistance training, they stimulate osteoblasts.

Resistance can come from machines such as dumbbells, free weights, or rowing machines. An example of a strength training exercise is the chest press, which involves lying on your back on a bench or the floor, pushing a weight up from your chest, and then lowering it down.

Granat, owner of Core Total Wellness in Washington, D.C., says working “close to muscle failure” is so important, “you really have to push yourself.”

This means lifting a weight heavy enough to be challenging and doing 6 to 30 repetitions.

She says you’ll know you’ve worked hard enough if you start to slow down or if you can’t repeat again with good form. For exercises like bicep curls, a good rule of thumb is to lift between 5 pounds (2.3 kg) and 20 pounds (9.1 kg), with newbies starting lower.

Baldassaro incorporated techniques learned from Granat, upping the weight to 20 pounds (9.1 kg) for some exercises.

She said the health coach helped her expand her workouts beyond cardio.

While she still does cardio, “strength training was really the game-changer for me,” she said.

No weight? no problem

Equipment is not necessarily needed to strengthen bones and muscles. You can also do push-ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, sit-ups or planks. Another great exercise is to squat with your back against the wall.

DeAngelis says even the simple act of getting in and out of a chair can help.

“You have to engage your core strength from sitting to standing,” she says. “It also allows you to work on your coordination and balance.”

There’s also what Granat calls “impact training” — exercises like walking, hiking, running, jumping, skipping and stair climbing. On the high-impact end of the spectrum are “bounce jumps,” which involve jumping up and down a step 10 to 30 times.

“We’re not talking about jumping hard, fast, and frequently,” she says, adding that three jumps a week is enough.

don’t forget balance

Experts say middle-aged women should also do balance exercises, which are crucial to preventing falls that could lead to fractures.

These include Tai Chi, yoga, and even standing on one leg to brush your teeth for about 30 seconds.

Experts say all of these exercises are great for younger people, too, especially since bone mass peaks between 25 and 30 years old and begins to slowly decrease around age 40.

After seeing how strength training improved her life, Baldasaro advises others: “Don’t wait. Get started.”