Why even old people should sign up for a gym

You don't need to be a prophet to see that the old people in the post-Soviet countries somehow do not particularly like sports. No, they, of course, watch football and boxing regularly and selflessly, but even the usual foray into the street, in order to knead the bones at least, becomes a rather rare phenomenon, which, often, is also passed off as an active lifestyle. To see an elderly person running or pulling up on a horizontal bar somewhere in the morning is something of a fantasy.

It is believed that when you “hit” 40, it’s time to give your body peace and expend energy only as needed. Like, "the body has a resource", "what if there is a war, and we are tired?", "It's time to go to the bottom." Yes, they lie so deeply that in their motionless life after 40 they manage to collect the classic "bouquet" of sores, without which it is sometimes difficult (not about anything), or even completely ashamed to talk with all sorts of old people they meet, who seem to be specially engaged in the daily approach of their hour death, collecting all imaginable and inconceivable ailments and diseases.

Even doing regular jogging or yoga - a noble occupation for any age, a person does not do enough for his body.

Of course, if an elderly person walks a lot and plays tennis, then we can almost put him as an example - this is such a rare phenomenon. And nothing that at the same time, in the same China, almost under every house 60-80 year old grandparents gather, dressed in multi-colored silk suits and are engaged in Tai Chi. And nothing that at the same time, in the same Israel, gyms and swimming lanes are crammed with old men and women, against which even coming to the gym at seven in the morning causes a feeling of shame (after all, they are already there from 5-6 in the morning, if not earlier).

But here, in the post-USSR, the elderly have taken a very comfortable position for themselves, justifying their laziness and unwillingness to take care of themselves and their health. Had our grandfather got somewhere on an aerobox or on a zumba somewhere in Tel Aviv, he would not only be surprised to find that seventy-year-old women jump there, for no reason, and do not die (!), But he himself would be surprised at his developing endurance, which would be more with each next lesson.

Fortunately for lazy old people and unfortunately for their children and grandchildren, in the post-Soviet countries "sports retirement" occurs much earlier than labor retirement. It just so happened that if after 40 you go to the gym, then you are unique and radical, maybe even something is wrong with you. “Why are you swinging, buddy? You already have a wife. Whom are you going to attract? "," Aren't you afraid to earn a heart attack? " - as if they are asking with a mute look their unbeliever peers. But they do not know that even doing regular jogging or yoga - a noble occupation for any age, a person does not do enough for his body. What can we say about the non-movers?

A reason to think not only for old people

A study of Australian geriatric specialists, based on careful analysis and continuous monitoring of the condition of several thousand program participants, ranging from youths to old people, not only confirmed the well-known fact that a person who walks a couple of kilometers at least once a week turns out to be an order of magnitude healthier than his peers, who do not, but also discovered a clear relationship between a person's health and the amount of muscle tissue in his body. Roughly speaking, all other things being equal:

A person who has more muscles is healthier than a person who has cried muscles like a cat.

It turns out that with the onset of the age of “fragile old age”, a person, in order to successfully combat arthritis, osteoporosis and degrading motor functions, simply needs to be included in his diet and build up muscle mass. And this primarily concerns the female sex, who is especially prone to aging loss in muscle and bone mass. Yes, dear girls! Running and yoga, it turns out, will not be enough. You will have to include in your list of mandatory exercises work with a barbell or dumbbells (if you have not already done so).

But in addition to the obvious advantages of weight training (dumbbells, barbells, etc.), which are useful for both sexes at almost any age, there are other delights in exercising with additional weight that you should be aware of.

Strength exercises are indicated for the following diseases

Arthritis. Requires a level of exercise that would allow you to cope with obesity.
Chronic insomnia. For maximum effect, practice in the afternoon.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is best to train during the peak of the effect of bronchodilators (drugs that relax the bronchial wall).
Chronic renal failure. Strength exercise compensates for myopathy in renal failure.
Congestive heart failure. Power loads will help with cardiac cachexia.
Coronary insufficiency. Power loads can be tolerated with a low ischemic threshold.
Depression. A variety of strength training can help you cope with minor depression.
Hypertension. Fighting excess weight will indirectly help in the fight against hypertension.
Obesity. With power loads, more muscle and bone tissue is retained than with aerobic exercise.
Osteoporosis. Preference should be given to shock and intense training (if health permits).
Peripheral vascular disease. Strength exercises, although not the main panacea, will still help with lameness.
Venous congestion. To combat this ailment, leg lift exercises are suitable.

Not a bad list, isn't it? Of course, it would be wrong to limit yourself to strength training, because incorporating cardio, flexibility and balance exercises into your program will have greater benefits for both physical and mental health.

Here is what geriatricians say about this, who have compiled an impressive list of activities for the elderly, where, of course, strength loads are also necessarily present.

Recommended exercise for seniors

	Power	Cardio	Flexibility	Balance
Frequency	2-3 days a week	3-7 days a week	1-7 days a week	1-7 days a week
Workout volume	1-3 sets of 8-12 reps for 8-10 major muscle groups	20-60 minutes per workout	From 20 seconds of continuous stretching to each major muscle	1-2 sets of 4-10 dynamic exercises

Now you will not envy our elderly people! They lived in peace, thought that all their ailments were from old age and the state, but it turns out that they themselves need to do at least something for themselves.

Of course, there are many advocates of senile laziness who will say that retirement is not something that you can't buy sports nutrition, but you can hardly make ends meet. And in this, of course, there will be a significant grain of truth. I just don't think that elderly people, old people and grandmothers are so busy making money that they cannot devote at least half an hour a day, or 5% of their free eight hours, for sports.

Younger adherents of a sedentary lifestyle, who have recently passed over 40, can also say that they say family and work gobble up all their free time and that there is not enough time even for sleep. Here I wash my hands, because I am sure that only an unusually brave (or stupid) person can put their health and life on the line for the sake of ephemeral career growth and family well-being, which hardly need your sacrifice.

The good news is that with the right amount of perseverance, strength sports started in old age will allow even in the case of large losses in muscle and bone mass, almost completely restore muscles and bones, while fully regaining muscle strength.

Another question: is it necessary to wait for old age, if you can be healthy already from today?