A quick checklist if you are over 40……

My dietitian wife Tanya just sent me this article that was published in the New York Times. The article reports on a recent scientific review which concludes that people who would like to become stronger should be lifting weights and adding protein to their diets. Interestingly the type of protein (animal, vegetable, protein shake, etc) and even the timing of when the protein was consumed were not important – just achieving 1.6g protein per kilogram of body weight each day.

In my day job as a personal trainer I’ve ‘inducted’ many new clients that are 40+ who share their concerns of losing strength as they age and the ‘knock on’ effect to their balance, falls risk and confidence in movement. This is accentuated further by our ‘sitting society’ – mostly our legs don’t even have to support our own bodies for much of the day!

The good news – I’ve seen strength improvements on as little as 30 minutes per week of targeted strength exercises. Many of these exercises can be done with a focus on both balance and core stability making for a very efficient use of time given the considerable value that these improvements bring.

Stronger doesn’t necessarily mean ‘bigger’ – muscles become more efficient through strength training as they are called on to ‘work together’ and this is helpful for many of the common tasks that are part of of our day.

So get into the weights room to build your strength, review your protein intake to maximise the strength gains from your hard work and head into your ‘later years’ with confidence in your body and the way that you can move!

(For specific input on your dietary protein intake, book a consultation with our dietitian Matt Morby)

-Kristin Lewis