Muscle Your Way Into Midlife

There are still plenty of baby boomers who believe weightlifting is only for muscle-heads.

Vancouver's Kathy Mehl is not one of them.

At 5 feet 1 inch, the petite 56-year-old hardly fits the bulky weightlifter stereotype, and that's the point. Pumping iron is no longer an activity restricted to the big and strong.

"I just want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs and bend over to tie my own shoes when I'm 80. Weight training will help me do that," said Mehl from the weight room at Lake Shore Athletic Club. "I want to be able to continue to have the strength to hoist my two small grandbabies around and keep up with them." Mehl realizes that pumping iron does much more than improve her appearance. It strengthens her bones, rebuilds muscle (which diminishes with age), improves posture, wards off injuries and gives her extra energy. Many exercise gurus are calling weight training the new "fountain of youth" for its rejuvenating effects.

Fitness trainers wish that more boomers realized the health benefits of strength training. While fears of "bulking up" have faded among many women and seniors, the majority of middle-aged boomers still have not embraced the activity. That's too bad, because fitness professionals say a little weight training (two to three times a week for 20 to 45 minutes) goes a long way in keeping the body strong and flexible enough to perform daily functions well into the senior years.

"We're living longer, but we're living less productive lives as we kick back with the remote control after retirement," said 53- year-old Richard Burke, director of sales at Vancouver Total Fitness. "Weight training is important because it builds bone as well as muscle, which we lose with age."

In other words, strength training, if done regularly, can slow down Father Time.

"There's no doubt that a woman of any age whether she's 45, 65 or 95 can really turn back the biological clock with strength training," wrote Miriam Nelson, founder and director of Tufts University's Center for Physical Fitness.

Midlife Muscle
Fitness experts used to believe that cardiovascular exercise was the only key to good health and weight loss. Today, health professionals realize that strength training is equally important. Each year, particularly after the age of 35, the human body loses approximately one-quarter to one-third of a pound of muscle, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. That may not sound like much, but over time it adds up to pounds of muscle loss.

In addition to a lack of strength, people who do not lift weights often tend to notice weight gain in midlife. Why? Muscle metabolizes calories. As muscle mass diminishes, the additional calories that were used to fuel muscles in the past are now stored as fat.

"I honestly don't think that most baby boomers realize that by strengthening and toning muscles, you can lose inches and burn more fat, not to mention be able to carry your grocery bags easily or walk up the stairs without getting winded," said Louise Allen of Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation's City Fitness, located at the James Parsley Center. "Weight training also helps ward off osteoporosis because it increases bone density."

Strength training is also important for adults who want to maintain their current weight or even lose weight. For each pound of muscle the body gains, it burns between 35 and 50 additional calories daily, according to the American Council on Exercise. A person who adds three pounds of muscle and maintains it for one year (without changing eating habits), could lose up to 10 to 12 pounds.

Lifting weights with proper form can also help to prevent injuries.

"You'll see the baby boomers who are weekend warriors go out to play baseball or another activity. The next thing you know, their back or shoulder hurts or they pulled a hamstring," said 45-year- old Lorri Ceccacci, a trainer at Lake Shore Athletic Club. "A lot of times they think they have the body of a teenager, but as we age, we just don't recover the same. That's why it's important to lift weights and do regular (cardiovascular) activities to keep our bodies strong so we don't get injured."

Smart Training
The best way to learn the basics of weight training is to hire a personal trainer to develop a strength training program and explain how the equipment works. If that's not an option, most health clubs offer an orientation with a trainer, which will familiarize new clients with both free weights (barbells and dumbbells) and strength training machines.

Strength training can also be done at home with resistance bands (available at most sporting goods stores). It's a good idea to meet with a trainer once or twice to learn proper form, however.

Personal trainers stress the importance of targeting all of the body's major muscle groups when starting a strength training program. It's crucial to ensure that a particular part of the body is not left weak and vulnerable to injury.

Allen sympathizes with the baby boomers who walk into a weight room, look around and feel slightly intimidated.

"That's why working with a trainer can come in handy you'll know you're doing the exercises right," she said. "And once you get the hang of it, you'll find that you feel better. You'll have more energy. Everyday tasks like gardening and walking up stairs won't be difficult. Plus, you'll be able to keep up with people that are much younger than you, and isn't that what all of us baby boomers want?"

Did You Know?
As we age, particularly after age 35, one-quarter to one-third of a pound of muscle is lost each year and replaced by fat.

Postmenopausal women can lose as much as 2 percent of bone mass annually.

Mild to moderate resistance training can increase muscle mass and bone density, reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels if done regularly.

Training Smart
Personal trainers offer the following tips to baby boomers who want to begin a strength training program:

• When in doubt, ask: Not sure if you're using the correct form or doing the right exercises? Ask a personal trainer, watch strength training exercise videos or get educated with resistance training books.

  "You have to have good form or you're going to get injured," said Louise Allen of City Fitness at the James Parsley Center in Vancouver.

   

• Get warmed up: Stretching a muscle that is not warmed up can cause muscle strain. It's always a good idea to warm up with five to 10 minutes of aerobic exercise, which will raise the body's core temperature and make the muscles more pliable and ready to work.

   

• Smart repetitions: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends performing one to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Weights should be lifted with a full range of motion and in a controlled manner.

   

• Focus: For best results, lift weights slowly and focus on the muscle group you are trying to work. Watching the movements in a mirror helps to boost concentration and perfect exercise form.

  "For people who are brand new to weight training, I suggest using (weight training) equipment first rather than free weights," Allen said. "The machines allow you to have better form."

   

• Know your limits: "It's better to lift a lighter weight with excellent form than to lift a weight that's too heavy and sacrifice form," Allen said.

   

• Breathe: Some people who are new to weight training have a tendency to hold their breath while lifting. This can cause high internal pressure in the chest cavity. Instead, exhale as you lift the weight, and inhale as you lower the weight.

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