Well, it's been a minute...over 8 years to be exact. I guess I was MIA for a while, but I'm back and still lifting. I will be 63 this year and I am working out harder than I ever had. As we age it is even more important to get started working out or keep working out if you already work out. It can seem daunting, I know. Going to the gym can be very intimidating; but, it's one of those things, ya just gotta be comitted to getting and staying strong. You can totally start working out at home; you don't have to go to a gym at all. If you are determined, get off that couch and get started. It just takes will and determination.
There are a lot of things to consider if you are interested in starting to work out in your 50s or 60s. You have to be careful, very careful, start slow and focus on form. I would highly recommend workout bands to start. If you've never worked out before; they are a great way to get started. But you have to start moving and lifting if you want to even maintain the muscle that you have.
It's a fact, as we age, we lose muscle mass which is called sarcopenia and can start as early as your 30s. There are many things that happen when you start losing muscle mass but the biggest thing is lack of ability to move safely. If you live a sedentary life, you will be losing muscle on a daily basis. This leaves your joints to fend on their own; which often means injury. If you don't have muscles to help you move on your day to day; you most definitely risk injuring yourself.
You don't want to fall. Falling is one of the worst things that happens to many people as they age. Without muscles to help you move safely; your risk of falling goes way up. If you want to be sure footed, able to lift things (even groceries) and do the things that you've loved to do all your life, get strong and stay strong.
I've added a couple of things to my workouts in the last year or so that are fairly a new focus for me. Core and balance exercises are a big part of my daily workouts now. Decreased muscle and balance make it difficult to have solid stability when moving around and that is where your risk of falling comes from. Want a strong core? Want to be able to walk around with confidence? Work your core and your balance and your gonna be a rockstar.
Each and every muscle in your body helps to move you around safely. So we need to work them all. The old saying "use it or lose it" is so very true. Now up off that couch and let's go.
Glad to be back. I'll be posting lots more.
