As we get older, weight and strength training is critical to our well-being. Fitness trainer Tina Tang focuses on women over 40 when women’s bodies begin to change with the onset of menopause and other hormonal shifts. Strength training can help slow down the signs of aging and reduce disease especially osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Tina was active her whole life, but she only got into fitness training at age 42 in pursuit of self enrichment. What she loves about strength training is that your progress shows in literal numbers as you move from 5 to 10 pound dumbbells and heavier!
Strength training or weight training may be intimidating especially for women because they envision people like Arnold Schwarzenegger or The Rock. These people are the “extreme version” of weight training because they have either made a career out of it or they compete. It is a misconception that strength training will make you bulky. You need to eat A LOT. If you are a woman, you also need a much higher level of testosterone to get bulky. Testosterone is crucial to muscle growth because it helps with muscle recovery and produces a human growth hormone. The bottom line is that you will not get bulky by picking up weights. In fact, you may get leaner because you’re creating muscle which is metabolic tissue.
For those of us over the age of 40, strength training means to do weight bearing exercises that are progressively heavier because that is the only way to challenge our muscles and ultimately get stronger. So how much exercise do you really need to do after the age of 40 to sustain longevity and independence? It depends on the person. If you’re an older woman that is seeing the onset of osteopenia or osteoporosis, it is recommended that you strength train at least 2 times a week. If you want to create strength and muscle, then Tina recommends that you train at least 3-4 times a week.
If you are just starting out and you don’t know what to do, we are all in the same boat! Tina has created the Get Strong Over 40 Seven Day Challenge where you’re only doing 10-15 minutes of exercise a day. This is all you need to start out because it is digestible and doable. Start small and stick to it. That is all it takes to start a new habit of self care.
Follow Tina Tang
Instagram @ironstrongfitness
Facebook @ironstrongfit
Remember to join the FREE 7 Day Strength Training Challenge! It starts February 1- 7, 2021. Go to https//www.getstrongover40.com to sign up
In addition to the FREE 7 Day Strength Training Challenge, Tina created A Strength Training Workout At Home Cheat Sheet for us. Download it here.
Also, check out some of the short exercise videos that Tina created on the Modern Aging Channel!
