By 2050, the number of adults aged 65 and older will be over 80 million.
Unfortunately, the national epidemic of obesity significantly affects seniors. Hence, if you’re part of the aging population, it’s best to maintain a healthy weight, especially with obesity’s close link to hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, etc.
For disease prevention and weight management, older adults are encouraged to be physically active. It is crucial for seniors not to overlook the benefits of weightlifting.
So, how many calories does strength training burn? You’ll know the answer to this question, plus other strength training benefits, as you read on.
Better Than Cardio? How Many Calories Does Strength Training Burn?
Cardio can burn as much as 600 calories per hour. Meanwhile, strength training burns 300 to 400 calories hourly on average. However, your exercise calorie calculator might not account for the EPOC effect.
Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is the increase in metabolism that happens after lifting weights. When muscles work hard, they need more oxygen to recover. Thus, beyond the calorie burn during strength training, you’ll also be burning more calories throughout the day.
If you’re doing strength training for weight loss, remember that calorie burn varies from person to person. It also depends on the duration of exercise, its intensity, your pace, and your age, height, and weight. Generally, those with more muscle burn more calories, even at rest, which is why men tend to burn more since they usually have less body fat than women.
The Role of Muscle in Weight Loss
Now that you know that you can burn calories with weights, it helps to understand why focusing on muscle should be a priority for your weight loss journey.
By preserving and building muscle mass, you can:
- Ramp up your metabolism
- Increase your mobility
- Reduce your risk of age-related bone diseases
- Maintain proper hormone levels
- Extend your lifespan
- Achieve a toned physique
Keep in mind that as one ages, metabolism tends to slow down. If you’re finding it hard to manage your weight, lifting weights can help boost your metabolism. As for improving mobility, don’t forget that joints depend on strong muscles for support, directly affecting balance and reducing the risk of falls.
Exploring Other Strength Training Benefits
Strength or resistance training will strengthen your muscles as well as stimulate bone growth and density. You can reduce your risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis by maintaining muscle mass.
Aside from bone benefits, muscles can help balance hormone levels, including testosterone in men and insulin. As for promoting longevity, remember that having higher muscle mass can help prevent muscle loss or sarcopenia. The more muscles you have, the less you have to worry about a decline in overall health, resulting in a higher quality of life as you age.
Lastly, having a toned physique will help boost your confidence. The good news is it’s never too late to start. Regardless of age, bodies can respond to muscle-building exercises, which makes fitness a solid investment for seniors.
Starting a Strength Training Routine
Knowing where to begin might be difficult if you’ve never tried lifting weights. Some seniors may also fear injury, so they stick to the usual exercises for older adults, like walking or swimming.
Given the many benefits of strength training, you should give it a try before saying it’s not for you. You can always talk to your doctor, and they can guide you properly, especially if you have a heart, bone, or joint problem.
When you start building your strength, using substitutes for hand weights like water bottles or soup cans is okay. You can even use your own body weight since the goal is to get your form right first rather than doing as many reps as possible to work muscles quickly.
Some exercises that are great for beginners include:
- Sit to stands
- Squats
- Wall press-ups
- Calf raises
- Bicep curls
- Abdominal contractions
- Toe taps
- Knee lifts
Combining Strength Training With Other Exercises
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity weekly for adults 65 and older. Ideally, this should be combined with at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities, plus balance exercises.
So, if you’re already doing cardio daily for 30 minutes, you can assign two days for resistance training. Avoid doing strength exercises on consecutive days, as muscles need time to recover, especially in the beginning.
Like other exercise routines, be sure to warm up before lifting weights. Once you’re comfortable with an exercise, you can go heavier with the weights. You’ll know you’ve chosen the correct weights because completing the reps feels challenging while still maintaining proper form.
Should you feel extra sore after resistance training, you can rest more. With consistency, your strength gains will be apparent, and you can progress to more complex exercises.
Support Strength Training With Proper Nutrition
When you’re lifting weights, you’ll need to up your protein intake. It’s also a good idea to consult your doctor or nutritionist about supplements to help prevent muscle loss. These include amino acids, vitamin D, and protein powders.
If your physician says it’s okay for you to consume protein powder, you can add it to oatmeal or smoothies. You can also dissolve it in water. However, always check the label, as protein amounts vary per brand.
The best protein sources are beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, lean meats, fish, dairy, and soy products. If you have pre-existing kidney conditions, you have to stick to the protein recommendations set by your doctor. Exceeding your recommended protein allowance may lead to dehydration or aggravate kidney problems.
Build Strength to Improve Your Quality of Life
Beyond knowing the answer to “How many calories does strength training burn?”, it’s vital to realize that maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent diseases prevalent in old age.
One of the best workouts to combat obesity is strength training. By lifting weights, you’ll also enjoy better mobility, reduced risk of osteoporosis, etc.
At Sabine Place Assisted Living, your fitness goals matter to us. Through individual wellness programs, we nurture our community so that residents can live their best lives every day. You may contact us today to get to know our senior living community in Orange, TX.
