What Is Strengthspan? How Strength Training Helps You Age Better
Regular strength training helps build muscle mass, improve mobility, and reduce age-related muscle loss, allowing you to stay stronger and more independent as you age.
By Marc Harwood, MD, Sports Medicine Physician, Virtua Reconstructive Orthopedics
We all hope for a healthy future. But what does it actually take to get there? Experts point to one important factor: your strengthspan.
If you haven’t heard of it before, you’re not alone. Strengthspan is the idea that building and maintaining muscle strength throughout life can help you enjoy better health, mobility, and independence as you age.
How does building muscle help your health?
When you challenge your muscles, they respond by getting stronger. This makes it easier to do everyday tasks, from carrying groceries to moving furniture. And the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, meaning you’ll burn more energy, which helps keep weight under control and improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes of exercise, with two sessions of resistance training per week. The closer you get to that goal, the more benefits you’re likely to see.
Is it ever too late to improve your strengthspan?
The strengthspan concept holds that the earlier you start, the greater your returns. Begin building muscle in childhood with supervised, age-appropriate activities, and you’ll see more health benefits as an adult.
You’ll also create a reserve of strength you can maintain. That matters, because muscle is generally easier to build earlier in life. Changes in hormone levels, nerves, and blood cells affect how your body responds to resistance training. You may not be able to convert protein into muscle as well when you’re older.
But don’t despair if you’ve never done resistance training before. The more you use your muscles, the stronger and healthier you’ll become, no matter your age.
How do I increase my strengthspan?
To make the most of your muscles:
Start where you are.
You don’t need to pick up a heavy barbell. Bodyweight exercises like squats and wall push-ups are a great place to start.
Target major groups.
Choose exercises that work your arms, legs, abs, lower back, and glutes, or butt muscles.
Work it into your day.
Yard work, like mowing and gardening, and climbing stairs all build strength.
You don’t need a gym or expensive gear to do strength training. Push-ups, squats, planks, lunges, and resistance bands are effective and can be done anywhere.
Here to keep you going strong
If joint pain, muscle weakness, or injuries are making it harder to stay active, the specialists at Virtua Reconstructive Orthopedics can help you develop a safe exercise plan to maintain strength, mobility, and independence as you age. Call 609-267-9400 to make an appointment.
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