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Writer's pictureMarquette Physical Therapy
Aug 53 min read

Strength Training 101

Contributed by: Marquette Physical Therapy

Strength training
 

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Research shows time and time again that strength training is imperative for women as they age. 


Why?

  • Older adults begin to lose muscle mass and strength naturally as part of aging. This process can start in your 30/40s but accelerates starting around 65 years old. By age 75, about half of a person's total muscle mass may be gone. 

  • Women go through menopause which places us at a higher risk of bone loss and fractures due to hormone changes. 

  • With the American diet and overall sedentary lifestyle, we tend to develop chronic diseases and overall fragility quicker than we used to. This can lead to falls, and when paired with bone loss can lead to fractures.


How exactly does strength training help me?

  • Getting strong literally delays aging. It prevents our bodies from becoming frail. It can prolong your life. 

  • Increasing muscle mass. This has so many benefits! With bigger muscles, there is a lesser chance of injury, improved hormone levels, improved blood glucose regulation, improved ability to participate in recreational activities, decreased body fat, etc., etc.

  • Increased bone density. To get a little nerdy, this is called Wolff’s Law. When a bone is subjected to increased loading, it will remodel itself over time to become stronger and better able to resist that loading. The younger you start this, the less risk of bone loss later on. However, no day is better than today to start building bone!

  • Improves your mental health. Technology is slowly killing us - literally! There are studies showing that exposure to blue light (computers, phones) is killing our brain cells. Our phones are keeping us sedentary as we sit there scrolling and scrolling until suddenly it’s midnight. Then we get bad sleep because of the artificial light exposure and staying up late. The next day, we are too tired to be active. It’s a vicious cycle. Being active during the day will help us have better sleep, improve the “feel good” hormones, and give us endorphins! 


Application:

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. They also recommend two or more days of muscle-strengthening activity per week. Cardio (walking, jogging, biking, elliptical, etc.) is great for heart health, lung capacity, etc., but it does not necessarily build muscle. If you can commit to only TWO strengthening sessions a week, that’d be a great start! 

  • Strength training does not necessarily mean lifting weights or going to the gym.  This can easily be done at home with our body weight. Try to hit each main muscle group twice a week. See video for ideas!

  • For hypertrophy (muscle growth) you'll generally want to perform 3 x 10 of each exercise.  

  • Aim for fatigue between 8-12 repetitions for each set. Fatigue - meaning your muscles should be too tired to do 1-2 more repetitions. If you are not reaching this level at 8-12 repetitions, then your weight/resistance needs to be increased. 

  • Perform a total of 2-3 rounds of each exercise. 


This blog post is basically Strength Training 101. If you have pain, discomfort, questions, confusion, reach out to your local physical therapist for more individualized care. Having difficulty with motivation? I can relate! Find an exercise accountability partner or a friend to workout with. Need more motivation? A PT or personal trainer can give you the structure you need to start good habits. Just make sure you’re listening to your body and not pushing through pain/discomfort. Get stronger and feel your body transform! 


 

Marquette Physical Therapy has two locations - Leawood & De Soto, KS. We treat one-on-one with a focus on manual therapies with specialties in Graston Technique™, Dry Needling, Pelvic Floor, Vestibular/Concussion, golf, and diagnostic ultrasound.


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