Are you over the age of 40 and looking to limit your strength loss? If you are someone looking to maintain an active lifestyle then the answer is probably YES. Even if you only want to remain status quo…the answer is a resounding YES. It is vital to maintain your strength as you age for many reasons, especially if you want to keep active.

Every year over the age of 40 a person loses a small percentage of their strength. It is a natural phenomenon, BUT there are things that you can do to prevent or at least limit the loss.

What you ask?

It starts with lifting things up and putting them down. Yes, that is a reference to an older Planet Fitness commercial, but the message is true. If you want to maintain your strength so that you can keep active then you MUST challenge your muscular system. You need to stress the system, make yourself sore some days to build, keep, and/or prevent loss. This soreness is not a bad thing.

You want that good workout soreness in the muscles. This is not soreness that should last more than a day except when starting a new program. In that case the soreness may last a few days, but will fade as you continue to push forward with the lifting.

But what if I don’t have equipment at home or don’t want to go to the gym?

Well, something will have to give here. You will need to purchase some items for at home to use or learn to love the gym. Either is a viable option. Regardless, you are going to want to push yourself to a level of at least moderate fatigue. If it feels too easy, then it is. For strength gains you will want to select a weight you can perform 4-6 reps. You will complete 3-5 sets. To maintain your strength you will be looking at 8-12 reps per set for 3 sets. Anything more than 12 reps per set is really for endurance, and not going to push strength to the capacity you need.

Have an injury or health concern?

Well then consult your physician and/or physical therapist to get you going safely. From there once the injury or health concern is addressed, the physical therapist will be able to guide you into an appropriate program and/or recommend a quality personal trainer who you can work with and who will carefully monitor your program.

Still not sure where to begin?

Click HERE to consult with an exercise expert who can guide you along the safest path for you. Just because you may be aging does not mean you should not take steps to limit your strength loss.