Myth: Gym Training Is Not For Those Above 50 Years Old

6/12/2020

A Common Misconception

"People who are older will not have the energy to always go to the gym!" Ahmad (Not his real name) exclaimed.

The other day I had an interesting discussion with someone I know who is older than me by 10 years+. Both of us disagreed with each other's opinions and it got heated to the point that we almost blurted swear words on LinkedIn. Luckily, we held back.

My point was simple: As we grow older it will be more crucial for us to do strength training as we will lose muscle mass up to 3-5% every decade and when we lose muscle mass, we tend to get to health problems and joint injuries easily.

This fact might seem shocking for some people as they would relate strength training as an activity that can only happen in the gym and they have this mindset that the gym is certainly not for fragile old people.

I admit that it is my fault for reacting to his opinion without understanding his perspective first.

I should have explained the different ways of strength training which does not necessarily have to be at "A" gym.

Thus, as a coach and a fitness enthusiast, we have a part to play in the way we communicate to influence a positive outlook on fitness throughout old age.

When we use the wrong words, which could make people think we do not understand their situation, people will be less likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle at all.

The point is, strength training can be executed anywhere you are, and with just your bodyweight or simple tools.

Here's why..

A Video About It

Benefit Of Strength Training For Old Age

Helps you maintain or lose weight
As metabolism naturally slows with age, maintaining a healthy weight is a challenge. Exercise helps increase metabolism and builds muscle mass, helping to burn more calories.
Reduces the impact of illness and chronic disease.
People who exercise tend to have improved immune and digestive functioning, better blood pressure and bone density, and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancers.
Enhances mobility, flexibility, and balance.
Exercise improves your strength, flexibility, and posture, which in turn will help with balance, coordination, and reducing the risk of falls.

Still, with all of the above benefits, many elder people avoid strength training because of many fears or worries that they have and I believe it is stopping them from achieving a more meaningful, rewarding and healthy life as they get older.

I try to spread awareness to people around me that maintaining our muscle mass is extremely important as we age.

Yes, not all elderly will indeed have the time or energy to go to a gym to exercise, but that is not an excuse to lead a sedentary lifestyle.

We can always do exercises from home, or under the void deck, or even at the nearby park using resistance bands and body-weight.

Even a light jog, doing 5 push-ups followed by 5 sit-ups is good enough.

The Disadvantage of Strength Training For Old Age

Of course, I can't deny that certain things would lead to more problems when the elderly get too physical.

Fatigue and slow recovery
When old age catches up, our recovery phase after an exercise will take a longer time. We might get sick and feel more sluggish and tired to do any other work in this state
Injuries might happen
Not only do fatigue sets in quicker than it normally does, but somehow the muscle aches and sprains would start to lead to inflammation and longterm pain on the joints
Affects emotions negatively
When all of the above happens, anyone would be stress and disappointed. Imagine being all hyped up to change for the better, then bad things happened to you, and your ability to move normally is affected due to injuries and because of this too you have to go for a regular check-up at the hospital, thus affecting your full-time job too.

Thus Shows The Importance Of Knowledge, Experience, And Having A Coach

Even as a young and energetic person such as myself, I still do make mistakes while training and have gotten chronic injuries too because it is impossible to observe how I execute the exercise movements when I am doing it on my own.

If injuries could happen to younger people, then people who are older with no experience in doing exercises will be at higher risk.

Inexperienced and older people risk the possibility of getting painful and long-term sprains and muscle tears, bone dislocation, and even heat injuries or heart-related complications if they are not careful.

So, I'd recommend equipping yourself with enough knowledge first followed by lots of practice of the basic movements in front of a mirror where you can observe how you are moving while doing the exercises before going for a more intense workout.

The best choice to take (if you have the financial means) is to hire a professional fitness coach or a personal trainer.

They will certainly guide and plan for you on how to safely and effectively achieve your desired fitness goals.

No matter what your choices in lives are, just don't regret it and I hope all of us will do our best to stay consistent towards a better and healthy life!

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