Fact of the matter is, We ALL need to strength train.

Ageing is inevitable and whilst it cannot be avoided, why not do, the best we can with it.

Strength training is essential, in order to stay mentally and physically active.

Whilst not all of us care as much, about how our bodies look, as we did in our 20’s (then again- you might still). The prevention, of muscle muscle mass deterioration is something we should all be conscious of.

From the time you are born, until the age of 30 your muscles are trained to grow bigger and stronger.

Though, by age 50 the rate of muscle loss accelerates significantly. Approximately 15 percent is lost in our sixties and seventies, and then 30 percent thereafter.

We refer to this loss of muscle mass, as ‘sarcopenia’.

An age related condition, where we lose muscle mass and muscle function.

Whilst muscle loss, is part and parcel of life, we can prolong this process, by engaging in regular strength training.

See, the primary treatment for sarcopenia is exercise, specifically strength and resistance training, so why not get a head start!

Even better, slow strength training isn’t designed to be performed everyday. For all of you busy, working mums , we know how it can get.

I recommend engaging in 2 to 3 strength based sessions per week. This gives your body enough time to recover, and still make strength improvements.

Although only about a fifth of females strength train two or more times a week.

It’s one of the most common misconceptions in fitness. Women fear building man-sized muscles and losing their femininity, as soon as they lift a weight.

Whilst lifting weights will increase muscle mass; ultimately this results in every woman’s dream; You’ll torch more calories.

Muscle is your body’s primary fat burner, So when your muscles ability to be active increases, so too does your strength. Better to build muscle mass while we can, before we start to lose it.

Keeping our body healthy is one thing, but keeping our mind healthy, that’s a task we often neglect.

‘Embodied cognition’, is revolutionising both the fitness world and the way we consider cognition.

The link between our cognitive thought and our bodily movements, enable us to consider the influence of cognition within our current context. Whether it be performing a ‘super slow’ squat, or doing your grocery shopping.

Building a strong mind and body connection, becomes even more important as we age.

Age can hinder attention and can cause a ‘cognitive slowing’.

As our muscles deteriorate so too does our sensory, motor and cognitive functioning; all byproducts  of ageing.

By learning how to ‘actively’ manipulate the mind, from an early stage in our lives, we can increase our ability to multitask, and maintain our attention span.

This is not to say strength training will prolong cognitive function, but the relationship between our actions and cognition is mainly physical. This suggests, it sure as hell can help.

Strength training can help stimulate the brain and make us feel in control of our movements, and cognitive thought process.

All of which will help you to ‘actively’ keep on living, no matter what age you are.