News
Opinion
Having celebrated a birthday earlier this month, I thought I might get a little depressed as I hurdle over, as my friend Gretchen would say, “the wrong side of 40.” Not surprisingly though, I am feeling pretty good about things these days.
I refuse to go down the “I'm getting older and can't do those great things I used too” road.
There are ways we can ensure a strong, healthy and confident life as we age.
I've spoken with many older women who claim that exercise just wasn't emphasized as they were growing up. No wonder there are so many cases of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Most women begin to lose bone and muscle mass at about age 40 — partly because they start to slow down.
In her book “Strong Women Stay Young,” Miriam E. Nelson states that after a year of strength training twice a week, women's bodies were 15 to 20 years more youthful. Her research created news worldwide when the results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
I love the self-assurance knowing my muscles and bones are healthy and strong. It's empowering to use great force on a kickboxing bag and know I won't get hurt (can't say the same for the bag). I want to be able to move my fridge out the way for cleaning when necessary. Most of all, I want to be able to play soccer with my daughter for years to come, and swim in the waves and run with my dog.
Just think for a moment, what would you like to still be doing when you reach those golden years?
A challenging, progressive strength-training program can build muscle and increase strength in women of all ages.
Each year after menopause, a woman typically loses one percent of her bone mass — even more during the first five post-menopausal years. Over time, she may develop osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become so porous they easily break. In Nelson's study, the women who didn't exercise lost about two percent of their bone density over the year of the study. But the women who strength trained not only didn't lose bone, they gained one percent.
Balance training is a key component in my snow sports conditioning class that currently in session, but all of my clients, young and old, work to improve theirs. Our ability to stay in balance declines with passing years.
The study participants who didn't exercise showed an 8.5 percent decline in balance over the study period. In contrast, the women in the strength-training group improved their balancing ability: their test scores went up by 14 percent. Participants in the JAMA study were asked to maintain their weight over the year. Though the scale didn't change, their appearance did. Instead of dropping pounds, the women who exercised lost inches.
Strength training is a dieter's best friend. First, it promotes aerobic activity, which burns calories. Second, it boosts metabolism. That's because muscle is active tissue and consumes more calories.
Here are two sample exercises from the book, for the complete program, go to
www.strongwomen.com:
Leg Extension: This is an important exercise for strengthening the quadriceps, the four muscles that make up the front of thigh. You can use the leg extension machine at Sierra Athletic Club or do this move at home:
Strap ankle weights on both ankles. Sit all the way back in a chair seat with good posture.
Place your hands on the tops of your thigh or on the sides of the chair.
Lift your right leg up in a slow, controlled movement until your knee is straight.
Slowly lower your right leg down until your foot rests on the floor.
Alternate and repeat the move with your left leg.
Perform two sets of eight on each leg.
Upward Row: This exercise strengthens the muscles of the shoulder, upper back and front of the arm.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand.
Place the dumbbells on the front of your thighs with your palms facing your thighs.
Keeping a slight bend in the elbow, slowly lift the dumbbells upward until they are at mid-chest height.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Complete two sets of eight reps.
Rhonda Beckham is owner of Help Me Rhonda Personal Fitness Training. She is a nationally certified personal trainer operating out of Sierra Athletic Club and a pilates instructor at Emerald Bay Physical Therapy. She can be reached at (530) 208-6369, www.TahoeTrainer.com, and rhonda@tahoetrainer.com.
I refuse to go down the “I'm getting older and can't do those great things I used too” road.
There are ways we can ensure a strong, healthy and confident life as we age.
I've spoken with many older women who claim that exercise just wasn't emphasized as they were growing up. No wonder there are so many cases of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Most women begin to lose bone and muscle mass at about age 40 — partly because they start to slow down.
In her book “Strong Women Stay Young,” Miriam E. Nelson states that after a year of strength training twice a week, women's bodies were 15 to 20 years more youthful. Her research created news worldwide when the results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
I love the self-assurance knowing my muscles and bones are healthy and strong. It's empowering to use great force on a kickboxing bag and know I won't get hurt (can't say the same for the bag). I want to be able to move my fridge out the way for cleaning when necessary. Most of all, I want to be able to play soccer with my daughter for years to come, and swim in the waves and run with my dog.
Just think for a moment, what would you like to still be doing when you reach those golden years?
A challenging, progressive strength-training program can build muscle and increase strength in women of all ages.
Each year after menopause, a woman typically loses one percent of her bone mass — even more during the first five post-menopausal years. Over time, she may develop osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become so porous they easily break. In Nelson's study, the women who didn't exercise lost about two percent of their bone density over the year of the study. But the women who strength trained not only didn't lose bone, they gained one percent.
Balance training is a key component in my snow sports conditioning class that currently in session, but all of my clients, young and old, work to improve theirs. Our ability to stay in balance declines with passing years.
The study participants who didn't exercise showed an 8.5 percent decline in balance over the study period. In contrast, the women in the strength-training group improved their balancing ability: their test scores went up by 14 percent. Participants in the JAMA study were asked to maintain their weight over the year. Though the scale didn't change, their appearance did. Instead of dropping pounds, the women who exercised lost inches.
Strength training is a dieter's best friend. First, it promotes aerobic activity, which burns calories. Second, it boosts metabolism. That's because muscle is active tissue and consumes more calories.
Here are two sample exercises from the book, for the complete program, go to
www.strongwomen.com:
Leg Extension: This is an important exercise for strengthening the quadriceps, the four muscles that make up the front of thigh. You can use the leg extension machine at Sierra Athletic Club or do this move at home:
Strap ankle weights on both ankles. Sit all the way back in a chair seat with good posture.
Place your hands on the tops of your thigh or on the sides of the chair.
Lift your right leg up in a slow, controlled movement until your knee is straight.
Slowly lower your right leg down until your foot rests on the floor.
Alternate and repeat the move with your left leg.
Perform two sets of eight on each leg.
Upward Row: This exercise strengthens the muscles of the shoulder, upper back and front of the arm.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand.
Place the dumbbells on the front of your thighs with your palms facing your thighs.
Keeping a slight bend in the elbow, slowly lift the dumbbells upward until they are at mid-chest height.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Complete two sets of eight reps.
Rhonda Beckham is owner of Help Me Rhonda Personal Fitness Training. She is a nationally certified personal trainer operating out of Sierra Athletic Club and a pilates instructor at Emerald Bay Physical Therapy. She can be reached at (530) 208-6369, www.TahoeTrainer.com, and rhonda@tahoetrainer.com.
