4 Reasons To Add Strength Training To Your 2024 Fitness Plan

Feeling inspired to start or re-commit to fitness in pursuit of greater health this year? It’s a noble goal, and there are a lot of ways to make it happen. But regardless of whether your approach to fitness involves 10,000 steps a day or a few games of pickleball every week, we hope you’ll consider adding strength training to the mix, especially if you’re an older adult. Exercises designed to strengthen your muscles have myriad benefits, and that’s true no matter your current age or fitness level. Here are four reasons to add strength training to your 2024 fitness plan.

1. You’ll Increase Muscle Strength

Our bodies begin losing muscle mass as early as our 30s if we aren’t actively working to grow it. It’s decades earlier than many people realize. Those who live a primarily sedentary lifestyle lose between three and five percent of their muscle mass every decade after age thirty. This kind of muscle loss is known as sarcopenia, and it’s an issue because it leads to reduced strength and mobility — a condition that progressively worsens with age. Sarcopenia is one of the main factors in frailty. In older adults, frailty leads to a greater risk of falls and fractures. The primary treatment for sarcopenia is strength training.

2. You’ll Increase Bone Density & Strength

It isn’t just muscles that become weaker with age. Osteoporosis is the bone-thinning disease that causes weak and brittle bone. The less severe form is known as osteopenia, a condition in which your bones are weaker than normal, though not enough that they are prone to breakage. Both conditions make you more susceptible to injury, and strength training is one of the best ways to combat the loss of bone density.

3. You’ll Improve Your Sense of Balance & Stability

Stronger muscles, and particularly a strong core, help improve balance and stability. The majority of people who suffer from bad falls suffer from poor balance and weak muscles. But both of these conditions are highly preventable, simply by adding strength training to your fitness plan. Plus, they make daily tasks like getting up, bending over, walking, lifting, pushing, and pulling easier to manage.

4. You’ll Reduce Your Blood Pressure

Stimulating blood flow by regularly challenging your muscles encourages proper circulation. Stronger muscles also means that your heart doesn’t have to work quite as hard when your muscles contract. Together, it’s a combination that helps reduce blood pressure and lowers your resting heart rate.

How to Begin

Strength training can be intimidating if you aren’t sure where to start. But that’s where a personal trainer who specializes in senior fitness comes in. Contact the trainers here at Framework Personal Training in Reno on Lakeside Drive now, and let’s make a plan to incorporate strength training into your 2024 fitness plan. It’s truly an integral part of a healthy fitness routine. Contact our team today.