Building Strength

My daughter and I have finally found a group fitness class we can agree upon. It's called Body Pump. Until now it's been a losing battle to get her to take classes with me. Maybe it's the years of her watching me teach classes or that when we did take a class like Zumba together the instructors who knew me always showed her extra attention (something a teenage girl does not want while trying to shimmy and shake her way through a class based on Latin dance).So I suppose, of all the classes we can agree upon, Body Pump is perfect. It's a strength training class and strengthening your muscles is important for every age and gender.

According to the Mayo Clinic, strength training is an important of a balanced fitness plan for both sexes. It's not just for those bulky guys you see grunting at the gym. the benefits of strength training are numerous:

· Reduces body fat

· Increases lean muscle mass

· Helps to burn calories more efficiently

· Helps to develop strong bones (which is super important as you age)

· Reduces risk of injury

· Boosts stamina

· Helps to manage chronic diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, obesity, and diabetes

If these benefits have you interested, here are some things to remember as you begin (after you get the thumbs up from your physician, of course) courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:

· Start slow

· Warm up with stretches and aerobic activities like walking are great

· When choosing weight/resistance, find weight that ill tire your muscles in 12 reps

· Recover--allow one day between strength workouts (my personal suggestion is to work upper body one day and lower body the next)

Mueller and Nichols from SparkPeople also suggest:

· Cool down--stretching is very important

· Change your routine every 6-8 weeks to avoid plateaus and general boredom--keep those muscle guessing so they work efficiently

· Breathe--inhale on the easy part and exhale on the exertion (lift). I cannot stress breathing enough. Please avoid holding your breath. No good comes from forgetting to breathe.

There are several types of resistance training you can do. These include using your own body weight. If you don't believe using body weight makes a difference just do a few good squats and see how you feel. I find resistance bands or tubing great for traveling and working out at home. Mueller and Nichols suggests that free weights are good for more advanced individuals while weight machines are good for beginners. Last but not least, there are several group fitness classes that you can find at your local gym or recreation center. They are my personal preference, of course, because they offer camaraderie and good music and far less grunting then you'll find in the weight room!

Remember that strength training is not about becoming a body builder. It's about building lean muscle to protect your joints, strengthen your bones, and enable you to do other fitness activities more efficiently and easily.

 

References:

Mueller, J. and N. Nichols. (2012, February). "Reference Guide to Strength Training." SparkPeople. Retrieved from http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1033

Staff. (2010, June 30). "Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier." Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01710