Muscle mass starts to deplete at 3-5% every decade post-age of 30 with lack of strength training & this rate increases post-age of 40. Incorporation of strength training not only helps in maintaining or improving muscle mass & strength but also helps in reducing the risk of injuries due to aging and lifestyle diseases like osteoporosis, arthritis, Hypertension, Depression, anxiety, chronic pain, cardiovascular diseases etc. People often think that they should lessen the amount the strength training but that is not true. One only needs to follow certain tips to stay safe and healthy.
According to Rahul Basak, fitness expert at Cult, these things should be kept in mind if you are over 40:
1. Perform More Warm-up Sets- Start by performing a proper movement routine that uses general warm-up like light jogging, mobilizing your entire body like ‘world's greatest stretch’ and specifically warming up the muscle groups which you are going to focus on that day, etc hamstring swipes & quad stretches for a leg day workout. People in their 40s need a slightly longer warm to mobilize their joints well to avoid injuries during workout
2. Focus on Quality- Although it is true for anyone performing any kind of workout movement, this is especially important for people over the age of 45. Performing reps with bad quality can lead to injuries & for people above the age of 45 recovering from injuries can take longer time & keep you away from workouts for long. Performing slow focused reps starting with just bodyweight movements like Body-weight squats & then gradually adding weights like Goblet squats while performing 10-15 reps with good form can help drill down the technique.
3. Include compound exercises & also workouts that focus on core strength and endurance Compound movements like bench Press, Squats, and Deadlifts not only help in improving strength but also help improve joint health & help burn more calories. While core focused workouts like plank hold, bird dog, dead bugs, and side planks help you keep your core strong & avoid back injuries.
4. Variation to avoid Injuries- Bring in a variation in workouts to avoid overuse injuries. This can be done either varying workouts in any movement pattern like Sumo Deadlifts, Split stance deadlifts, Convention Deadlifts, or changes in rep range 15-20 reps with a lighter load, 8-12 reps with a moderate load, and sometimes 4-6 reps with higher load or adding isometric exercises like squat hold, focus on eccentrics like slow tempo squats, etc.
5. Avoid overtraining and focus on recovery- Recovery post a workout session can slow down for people in their 40s+ vs someone in their 20s. While a 20-year-old can easily squeeze in 2 workout sessions in a day & come back fresh the next day, for a person in their 40s recovery might take longer. Focus on shorter duration workouts of 45-60 mins multiple times a week & providing at least 48 hours break to a particular muscle group like upper & lower body movements on alternate days can help recover well. Also adding proper post-workout stretch & foam rolling routine can help in recovery.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)