Beginners Gains At Any Age

Gone is the archaic belief that strength training will only create bulk and so too is the belief that training should decrease as the number of candles on your birthday cake increases. Training is an integral tool to fight the loss of muscle and bone mass and as Lesley Maxwell explains, gains can be made at any age!

- Lesley Maxwell

I ’m often asked, ‘Is it possible to make positive changes to our body shape and health once we are over 40, in our 50s and even 60s?’ and ‘How can I maintain it?’

Can we become lean, strong and toned, making our body behave more like a younger body? I know from my own experience how I changed my body and my health when I was in my late 40s. Let me share my method with you.

Although I had always trained in one fashion or another, it wasn’t until I reached 49 that I weight trained in the manner I do now. In saying this please note that I never lift extra heavy. Most people could easily lift what I do. However, I do make a point of training each muscle group weekly with simple movements while lifting weights. It’s easier than you think - get your mum to start! The reason I choose weight training is that weights build lean body tissue (muscle), which has an anti-ageing effect. Women often think muscle will make us look unfeminine but this isn’t the case.

According to Better Health Channel, “At least half of the age-related changes to muscles, bones and joints are caused by disuse”. Muscle supports our frame (skeleton) which helps avoid back problems and supports our joints. Muscle speeds up our metabolism, allowing our body to burn more calories even while we're at rest.