In the past, when people heard about muscle training, they thought it was only for bodybuilders or athletes, but now research has clearly found that if you maintain more muscle mass, the elderly can live longer.
Think about it, if we can maintain muscle quality, muscle strength, and muscle endurance, become more elastic when we move, and maintain balance, we can avoid falls and reduce the chance of injury. This The difference is huge.
According to research, as we continue to train muscles, the body's enzymes, hormones, and chemical molecules will change, which can reduce the symptoms of chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and obesity. Therefore, the quality of life will also be greatly improved.
However, when you hear that you want to train muscles, you may have to overcome several mental and physical hurdles first:
1. I have some joint problems. Occasionally, I will gasp when I get a little excited. Can this be trained?
In case you are not sure whether your body can bear it, it is best to consult the doctor who you usually see and take medicine. If you don’t usually have any ailments but still want to be sure, ask a doctor in the family medicine department, orthopedics department, or rehabilitation department.
2. If my physical strength is very poor, is it suitable for me to do strength training directly?
If your physical strength is very poor now, such as you have just undergone surgery, chemotherapy, etc., or you have no exercise habit at all before, you can try walking more first. Walking is an aerobic exercise, not muscle strength training. However, if you walk often, you can start muscle strength training when your physical strength is better.
3. Do I need to train muscles every day? ?
There is no need to train muscles every day. It is necessary to have some intervals between training to allow muscles to repair and grow. Therefore, if you are just starting to practice, it is recommended to focus on muscle-strengthening training methods about two to three times a week.
4. Does muscle training require me to lift weights? How is it possible? !
Weightlifting is just one way of muscle training, so it is not necessary for everyone to practice weightlifting, and it is impossible for everyone to do so. The purpose of exercise is to hope that you will be better than yesterday, rather than getting older day by day. It is best to live younger this year than last year, so you don't need to compare with others, and you don't need to be impatient, just do it step by step. Below we will start with relatively basic muscle training and gradually build up muscle mass, so that your mobility will get better and better!
5. How to do basic leg strength training?
You can start by training your quadriceps from a sitting position! These actions are very helpful in stabilizing the knees. Once the knees are stable, they will no longer stagger when walking, and they will no longer start to hurt as soon as they walk. The chance of falling will be reduced, so it is very important!
a. Sit on a chair, with your back straight, knees bent, and feet on the ground.
b. Keeping your knees bent, lift your right foot. Repeat ten times.
c. Lift your left foot and repeat ten times.
d. Then you will return to the original posture of sitting upright with your feet on the ground.
e. Straighten the knee of your right foot, return to the original position, and repeat ten times.
f. Switch to the left foot and practice straightening the knee, repeat ten times.
g. Return to the original posture of sitting upright with feet on the ground.
h. Straighten your right foot, hold it steady, and lift your right foot up ten times in a row.
i. Switch to your left foot and lift it straight up, ten times in a row.
6. How to do basic arm muscle training?
We can also start practicing from a sitting position. When you first start practicing, you don’t need to rush to buy all kinds of equipment to assist. In fact, you can also use a bottle filled with water as a dumbbell. Let's work on the biceps on the front of the arm and the triceps on the back of the arm.
Most people's triceps are a little weaker than their biceps. If you are just starting to exercise your triceps, you can choose a lighter weight, or don't hold any weight at all.
a. Sit properly in the chair without hunching over.
b. Hold the bottle with your palms facing forward, your shoulders relaxed, and your elbows close to your body.
c. Don’t move the position of your shoulders and elbows, focus on contracting your biceps and raise your forearms
d. Repeat the action ten times and then change hands, repeat the same ten times .
e. Next we need to practice the triceps. Hold the bottle with your right hand first, raise your right arm above the height of your head, stabilize the elbow of your right hand with your left hand, and then bend your right hand to let the bottle at the back of the head. This is the starting action.
f. Continue to stabilize the right elbow with your left hand and begin to lift the bottle toward the ceiling. Then slowly return to the starting position and repeat ten times.
g. Change hands and repeat the same exercise ten times.
h. Return to the original sitting position, lean forward, and keep your back straight. Hold the bottle with your right hand bent, keeping your right arm close to your body. This is the initial action.
i. Send the bottle back and down, keeping your right arm straight. Return to the starting position and practice ten times.
j. Change hands and practice ten times.
k. Next, take a bottle in each hand (if you feel it is too heavy, you can not hold it at all). Sit up straight, with the palms of both hands facing forward, bend your arms and lift them up. Two bottles are placed close above the head. This is the starting position.
l. Move both arms downward, retract the back muscles, and lower the height of the palms of both sides to near the ears on both sides. Return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise ten times.
7. Am I too old to exercise muscles?
No one is too old for strength training. The older you get, the more important your muscle quality and strength become! After exercising more muscle strength, the body's range of motion increases, balance becomes better, bone mass strengthens, and people become clearer. So just follow the exercises above and start slowly!