While I don’t think it’s some big secret that weight lifting is beneficial for your health, your bones, your aging body, and can help maintain muscle as we age, I do believe that there are many folks out there who are just not incorporating it into their daily lives.

I work predominantly with women and know first-hand how important it is to them to continue to feel beautiful, powerful, radiant, and resilient, while aging.

As we all know, or continue to learn, beauty isn’t only about esthetics. Beauty, as we come to know more expansively as we age, is all encompassing in heart, mind, spirit, is embedded in how we behave, how we parent, how we show up as a human, and how we share our gifts with the world. And it also has an esthetic quality to it that we cannot ignore or deny, and is not wrong.

How we maintain our bodies, our health, our diet, our lifestyle, is infinitely indicative of our care for the self. Whether our motivation is purely esthetic or not, how we look after, protect, and nurture our bodies, dictates how well we will age. Period.

One of the most powerful ways we can age with resilience and beauty is to stay physically active.

As my work as a Nutritionist and a Health Advocate evolves and matures, I have gradually progressed towards encouraging “movement” as opposed to “exercise” simply because there is a bit of stigma attached to the wording. Movement can look like anything that brings exertion to the body, not matter how subtle, and promotes physical activity of any kind. I love this approach because it’s more all encompassing and inclusive for the folks out there who haven’t been very drawn to sports. It ALL counts and any and all movement is beneficial if it's a reasonable amount and is done for the right reasons.

But I want to talk specifically here about weight lifting because it is SO important physiologically and psychologically for us aging North Americans and especially for women.

“The average 30-year-old will lose about a quarter of his or her muscle strength by age 70 and half of it by age 90. “Just doing aerobic exercise is not adequate,” says Dr. Robert Schreiber, physician-in-chief at Hebrew SeniorLife and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Unless you are doing strength training, you will become weaker and less functional.””

— Dr. Robert Schreiber

Because many of us are not hiking miles daily for water, hunting our own food, or building our own houses, we need to find doable ways to integrate regular exercise that challenges the muscles in both strength and resistance.
The easiest way to do this is with weights.

Physical Health Benefits:

Improved muscle strength and tone – to protect your joints from injury
Maintaining flexibility and balance, which can help you remain independent as you age.
Weight management and increased muscle-to-fat ratio – as you gain muscle, you can increase metabolic rhythm and balance
Greater stamina and endurance, decreased fatigue
Prevention and maintained control of degenerative diseases
Pain management
Improved mobility, balance, and posture
Decreased risk of injury
Increased bone density and strength and reduced risk of osteoporosis
Enhanced performance of everyday tasks

Mental Health Benefits:

May help reduce or prevent cognitive decline in older people
Improved sense of wellbeing
Improved mood
Improved sleep
Improved self-confidence
Improved body image
Increased self-esteem

“When you do resistance or strength training, very important chains of molecules that relay signals between cells are affected, and these changes linger in the body for hours after exercise, building up a cumulative, positive effect. Even a low-intensity strength and walking program has substantial benefits.”

— Roger A. Fielding, Ph.D., associate director, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University

Why Weight Lifting is a Multi-Faceted Approach to Health for Women

PHYSICAL WELLNESS - Physical movement, period, contributes to improved overall wellness. Cardiovascular training alongside resistance and strength training, is a powerful and effective way to support overall health. Movement of any kind can improve all bodily system functions, from organ function, to clearing toxic waste, to digestion, cardiovascular function, and ability to fight infection. The act of maintaining strong muscles, as we age, supports better resilience, recovery, and ability to continue to be physically active long-term.

STRENGTH - Ingrained in our culture and our genetic makeup are generations of Women feeling weak, incapable, not worthy-enough, and generally, over-powered by the repressions of society. Building strength in the body, physically AND mentally, can help to reprogram generations of thinking, model different female associations for future generations, and heal old wounds around repression, abuse, and neglect.

LONGEVITY - Regular strength training & weight lifting promotes muscle building, improves balance, and promotes better recovery post-injury or surgery. How strong the body is, both physically AND mentally, will affect how well the body recovers, sleeps, maintains good blood flow and circulation, detoxifies, and how well it handles stress and immune system challenges. We can increase our overall longevity by maintaining a good physical regime, preventing injury, degenerative disease formation & progression, and through supporting good mental health.

SELF-ESTEEM - I can’t yell this out loud enough to all the women out there without a regular strength building regime! Building a strong body will directly affect your self-esteem and self-confidence. If your body is strong, you will feel stronger in mind, heart, soul, and resilience. You do not need to be a bodybuilder or lift heavy weights or do intensive exercise, ANY form of strength building will support your progression with building better self-esteem. Further, this is a great addition to any confidence building teaching we are instilling in our kids as well.

BODY IMAGE HEALING - Issues with negative body image revolve around a disconnection with the self, personal definition and identification. ANY PRACTICE that encourages the individual to be present in their body, connected with their self, and empowered in their strengths and uniqueness, will promote body image healing. Strengthening the physical body can be a powerful addition to any recovery or healing process. Embodiment practices are a key, foundational part of rebuilding a sense of self that is empowered, confident, and comfortable, and weight lifting can be a great embodiment practice for anyone hoping to reconnect with their self and build positive body image.

If I’ve peaked your interest and inspired you towards a different kind of movement regime, have a look at my upcoming FOOD & BODY TRANSFORMATION Program which includes powerful strength classes that are fully adaptable to your capability level!!

May you age gracefully, powerfully, and with the confidence to challenge anything that comes your way!
Cindy ♡

Resources:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/resistance-training-health-benefits
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age#:~:text=%E2%80%9CResistance%20training%20is%20the%20most,relative%20sarcopenia%20is%20improved%20significantly.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/want-to-live-longer-and-better-do-strength-training

One of the many things we tend to forget as humans and individuals, navigating the challenges of our current world, is that we are never actually powerless. Yes, there are natural disasters and governmental guidelines, heart breaking devastation amongst capitalism, poverty, division, racism, and climate change issues that are often out of our control, but as individuals, we are NEVER powerless.
There are ALWAYS ways that we can help,
ALWAYS little things we can do,
And we are ALWAYS in control of how we behave and respond to the endless barrage of worldly issues.

I am no expert on environmental barriers and complications, but I do know a few things about health. Fundamentally, at the root of so much that we do, how we respond, whether we take action towards helping or hindering issues & events, how we handle anxiety & stress & heart break, is HOW HEALTHY we are in mind & body. The more stable we are with our health, the more stable we will be in our reactions, decisions, and how we manage ourselves forward despite the many hurdles that are set before us.
Let’s face it: challenging times aren’t going anywhere. We cannot simply wait out the storms, as more storms are on their way. What we CAN do instead, is work on being our most resilient, strong, powerful, and stable selves, so that we can take on whatever comes our way with resilience and integrity.

Here are some of my favourite ways to look after your health, particularly at a time when we are looking for a fresh start, such as a New Year:

Building Resilient Health in Mind & Body

Tune Inwards:

I can’t say this enough. Listen to that inner voice, the inner guide that knows what works for you & what doesn’t, that understands when you need rest or to step back from something, and knows deeply when something’s not right. We have so many of our own answers (although many of us spend years searching for them) WITHIN, the work then is to figure out how to listen and interpret the signs & signals. Practice mindfulness, presence, deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and simply spending the time to listen.

Daily Gentle Detox:

Rather than launching on a restrictive detox plan this NY, consider implementing some daily gentle detox strategies that can be mainstays for your health consistently. Good quality water intake, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, sprouts (broccoli sprouts in particular), blue-green algae/spirulina/chlorella, a whole foods vitamin/mineral formula, and regular movement to encourage sweating, are all easy and effective ways to encourage those detoxification pathways to do good work and process excess toxins. If you’re looking for more guidance with your NY Detox, Join my January Detox Group!

Include More Plants:

I’ve been at this Nutrition thing for over a decade now and it seems no matter what angle you come at it, what book you read, what webinar you take, time and time again, the resounding research dictates that the best form of absorbable nutrients comes from plants. The more plants you can consume in your day to day diet, the more accessible nutrients the body will receive; the more accessible nutrients the body receives, the better able it is to function, the more support you will have for organ function, blood circulation, detoxification pathways, digestive function, brain function, mental health, less aches & pains, better sleep, and more energy. Include as many plants in the diet as possible, of all varieties, and as in season and organic, as possible. Bonus: they are delicious!

Exercise & Movement:

Never stop moving. Period. No matter whether or not you are limited due to injury or pain, there are so many varieties of movement that we can take advantage of to keep the body in motion, to work & strengthen the muscles, to aid with recovery, to attribute to agility & coordination, to encourage a positive mindset, and, perhaps the most important of all, to support mental health. Find something that makes you feel good, joyful, happy & strong, and do that. If going to the gym isn’t your thing, no problem, find something that is! Just MOVE regularly, daily, and aim to include both cardiovascular and strengthening exercise.

Mind Stress Levels:

Just as we’ve discussed staying present and tuned in above, keeping close tabs on your stress levels is one of the master keys to thriving health. As soon as our stress levels rise above what is manageable or what feels balanced, those heightened levels of stress hormones begin to affect the workings of everything else in the body: digestion, sleep, heart rate, fat storage & metabolism, mental health, energy levels, motivation, and greatly contribute to anxiety & depression. Pay attention to where the majority of your stress comes from and make assessments to keep those levels in check: notice when they are beginning to shift, notice triggers, notice your mood shifts and behaviours, implement stress reduction strategies to help cope (yoga, breathing, meditation, walks, time off, sleep), and take your stress levels seriously, as long-term stress is at the root cause of many (if not all) degenerative diseases.

Prioritize Passion:

It is passion in life that makes us feel alive, lit up, and motivates us to share our joy and our spirit. Keeping passion alive in your life is as important to your health as what you eat, how much you move, and how stressed you are. Don’t ever let your passionate side fall the wayside, it deserves to be front & centre in your life and will guide you towards being your best and most whole self. Trust me. If you have lost your passion, spend some time trying to find it again - retreats are great for this, workshops or creative classes, self-work classes or therapy can help, also meditation and/or time away from work. What I often ask my clients who struggle to find their passion is this: what lights you up and makes you feel joyful? what did you used to do that you don’t do anymore and wish you did? what do you watch others do that makes you feel as though you’d love to do that too? Be curious. Don’t ever discount your passionate self, you deserve passion, we all do.

If you’ve made it to the end, I hope you’ve found some inspiration here to take you into a New Year with more resilience and presence.
If you are looking for help with any of these topics, feel free to REACH OUT and find out more on how we can work together to get you feeling more resilient this NY!

Weight Lifting for Aging Women