OLDER GENERATIONS
A Younger You
AS WE AGE
It is estimated that we that we start to lose 0.5% of muscle every year from the age of 30*
Studies also suggest that we lose more muscle from our lower bodies than our upper bodies and that women are more prone to a muscle loss than men.
Loss of lean tissue appears to accelerate after the age of 70 and can rise to 3% per year. Added, as we age, tendons change their stiffness, strength decreases, balances worsens and density and bones density reduces.
*This isn’t a linear and it is highly dependent on an individual’s training history, lifestyle choices and genetics
Regular training is essential in off-setting the effects of aging but the exercises you select play a huge role in the exact benefit you get from the hours you spend at the gym.
If we know that you lose muscle, strength, balance and coordination perhaps the critical question to ask yourself is
‘Does my gym routine cover these bases?’
If you spend most of your gym workout sitting on machine weights then the answer is probably not!
Whilst there is nothing wrong with machine weights, they don’t typically improve posture, balance, coordination, and they tend to isolate just one or two muscles at a time.
In real life, we work multiple muscles simultaneously (called ‘chains’ coupled with balance in order to move and function. Therefore, working chains of muscles whilst challenging your balance and posture is what your fitness routine should do too.
INCLUDE THESE IN YOUR TRAINING
Below are some core essentials you should know and incorporate into your gym training.If you are unsure of how to do this, consider booking some sessions with me so I can design an effective program and work through these with you.
INCORPORATE MOVEMENTS
Training isn’t complicated…there are 6 fundamental movements you will move through in daily life and, assuming you aren’t injured, you should incorporate these into your gym routine:
These 6 movements are:
1. Push
2. Pull
3. Bend
4. Lunge
5. Squat
6. Rotate
PLANES OF MOVEMENT
(AKA DIRECTION OF YOUR EXERCISE)
As well as the 6 movements, there are three directions we typically move in. These are:
1. Forwards and backwards
2. Side to side
3. Rotation
If you sit on a machine, you will only move in a forwards/backwards movement, (think Chest Press, Seated Row, Bicep Curls etc).
In everyday life we work in multiple planes of movement so having a gym routine that combines the 6 key movements with these 3 planes of movement is the foundation of every healthy gym routine.
MOBILITY
There is nothing better at making us feel old than feeling stiff and immobile so why wouldn’t you incorporate some mobility work into your fitness routine?
Most people are stiff around their hips and mid back but we will do a postural check before we start training to establish which areas you need to work on before providing you with an individual plan to mobilise those stiff areas.
Many clients have told me that these exercises have changed the daily aches and pains more than anything else they have done.
TARGET SMALL MUSCLES (
NOT JUST THE BIG ONES)
Most people just hit the big muscles (chest, outer back, quads, hamstrings) but it usually your small stabiliser muscles that get weak or injured (shoulder stabilisers, lower abs, smaller glute muscles).
These muscles are your ‘nuts and bolts’ muscles that hold your body together and dissipate force away from your low back. Therefore as well as doing the usual exercises, (squats, chest press, lat pulldowns) you should also do lighter exercises targeting those muscles that stabilise your joints and posture.
BALANCE AND CO-ORDINATION
Incorporating some form of balance work into your routine is essential in preventing falls or avoidable accidents out of the gym.
Balance isn’t just about standing on one leg, we can challenge you moving forwards and backwards, from side to side or on different surfaces and different floor heights.
It may not sound much but this can make a huge difference to injury prevention, quality of life, confidence and just having fun in the gym.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY
Above are all the technical reasons why a trainer would really help your training.
However of equal importance is that I can make it more fun Having someone there during your sessions to bounce off and to take care of your training routine for you makes training less of a chore whilst simultaneously making your workouts more effective.
Since training with Day, my everyday life has improved tremendously. I actually feel younger, move freer, suffer less aches and have more confidence in doing many daily activities I was starting to get nervous about.
Day has been masterful in what he has done for me
Brian Davies
IS PT RIGHT FOR ME?
HOW TO FIND OUT
At the end of the day, you will be at the gym for the same number of hours whether you see a trainer or not. But the effects of those training hours on your body and on your quality of life may be completely different.
Therefore why not just have a chat with me and see what I could do to make your training that little bit more fun and that huge bit more effective?
For a free, no obligation, no hard sell consultation, click below.
You have nothing to lose!