How to Build Strong and Healthy Bodies?

Strength Training For Adults

Strength training is recommended for all adults of both genders. Strength training can help decrease bone and muscle loss and increase balance and coordination. For more benefits of strength training, go to Why should you strengthen your muscles? A strength training program for adults is very different than a program for children. Your program does not need to take up all your time and it can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. All that is needed for a strengthening program is about 20 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. Your strengthening program should consist of the following items:

• Proper warm up: take a 5 to 10 minute walk or jog before starting exercise to increase the blood flow to your muscles.
• Stretching: begin your program by gently stretching the major muscle groups (arms, legs, back, etc). See Proper stretching techniques for more information.
• You only need to do 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise to begin with. The weight should be heavy enough so that the last couple of repetitions are difficult and you can increase the weight as the exercises become easier.
• Make sure you breathe properly. Do not hold your breath and make sure you are breathing freely throughout. Give yourself days off to allow your body to recover in between sessions.
• If you have a condition that makes it difficult to lift weights, there are alternative ways to create resistance:
• Isometric exercises: these are exercises that cause a muscle contraction without moving the joint. You can work many of your muscle groups this way. For example, while you are sitting at a table, bend your arm at the elbow and press your palm down on the top of the table. You should hold this contraction for about 10 seconds. You can also reverse this by putting your hand under the table and push up.
• Pilates
• Pool workouts: water provides resistance and is also less stressful for your joints

Resistance bands or tubing: these are color-coded to offer different resistances. A good rule of thumb is that the lighter the color, the lighter the resistance. For example, the color scheme for most resistance band colors from easiest to hardest is usually: yellow, red, green, blue, black and gold/silver.

Source:

• Mayo Clinic