How women over 50 can overcome common strength training barriers.
Strength training helps women maintain a strong body, supporting independence as they age by preserving muscle, improving bone health, boosting metabolism, improving balance and coordination, and promoting mental well-being. Without regular strength training, muscles deteriorate, making daily activities more challenging.
In this blog, we are going to look at common reasons why women avoid strength training and then look at which solutions can be used to change them.
Before we delve into the barriers of strength training, we should first understand why we should be doing strength training. For 25 Key benefits of strength training for women over 50: Why it's never too late to start, click here.
Common reasons for neglecting strength training and how to overcome them.
Barriers or obstacles can be divided into two types: internal and external.
Internal barriers, Internal barriers are personal challenges that affect an individual's ability or willingness to engage in activities like strength training. These barriers originate from within the person and include:
(a) Physical Factors: Health conditions, fatigue, or physical limitations that make exercise difficult.
(b) Psychological Factors: Issues such as lack of self-motivation, low body confidence, fear of injury, insufficient knowledge, previous negative experiences, and personal preferences for other types of exercise.
External barriers are outside factors that prevent participation in activities like strength training. These barriers are influenced by the environment and include:
(a) Physical Factors: Limited access to gyms or suitable equipment, and poor weather conditions that prevent outdoor exercise.
(b) Financial Factors: High cost of gym memberships or equipment.
(c) Time Constraints: Difficulty managing time or fitting exercise into a busy schedule.
(d) Social Factors: Responsibilities such as caregiving and societal expectations or norms that affect the ability to engage in strength training.
Understanding these barriers can help in finding ways to overcome them and make strength training easier and more effective for women over 50.
Internal barriers and how to overcome them.
(a) Physical factors
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If you have any health concerns, you may still be able to do strength training with guidance from a healthcare provider who will create a safe exercise plan tailored to your needs.
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If being too tired is stopping you from exercising, check first with your doctor for any medical reason for your fatigue.
Other factors that can cause fatigue is lack of good quality uninterrupted sleep, good nutrition (avoid too much caffeine and sugary foods as this can leave you feeling worse), reducing stress levels.
Start with small, manageable workouts like a 15-20 minute workout gradually increase intensity.
Focus on the positive impact of exercise on energy and overall wellbeing.
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(b) Psychological factors
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Choose an activity that you enjoy. There are so many options to choose from, like joining a group fitness class or try dancing, walking, tennis, bowling or bowls, golf, swimming, aqua aerobics.
Find an accountable workout buddy. Invite a reliable friend to join you at the group class or join a fitness community to help stay motivated.
Set SMART goals.(For info on how to set SMART goals, click here.)
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Though easy said than done, try not to compare yourself with others. Everyone has to start somewhere. We have no idea about other people’s fitness journey is, so focus on yours.
Focus on how exercise makes you feel, not just how it makes you look.
If going to gyms intimidates you, look for gyms or fitness centres that cater to beginners and your age group or exercise at home.
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Always warmup before exercising and cool down and stretch after exercise to prevent injury.
Start small with shorter workouts doing low-impact exercises and gradually increase intensity and length that you exercise.
Consult a fitness professional to learn how to use fitness equipment properly and learn proper techniques for each exercise to improve your form.
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Look for personalised guidance.
Many gyms provide introductory sessions with personal trainers as part of their membership.
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Look for supportive, positive environments. Start with beginner workouts to rebuild confidence.
Educate yourself on basic strength training principles. Knowing the basics make strength training more approachable.
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Up until recently, women were told that the only way to get into shape and stay in shape was doing cardio.
A University of Alabama study showing greater belly fat loss in women who lifted weights as compared to those who just performed cardiovascular exercise.
Research indicates that you burn more calories in the hours after a weight training session compared to a cardio workout. Additionally, resting metabolism can remain elevated for up to 38 hours following weight training, a benefit not observed with cardio. Incorporate strength training into your routine without replacing cardio completely.
Start with short sessions and gradually see the benefits.
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If boredom prevents you from doing strength training, ensure that you’re not doing the same exercises everyday and that you incorporate active rest days for walking, stretching or foam rolling.
Mix up your routine with varied exercises and equipment to keep workouts interesting.
Add some inspirational tune to your playlist to help keep you going.
External barriers and how to overcome them.
(a) Physical factors
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Find free or affordable exercise options, such as online workouts or lower cost community classes.
Mat Pilates requires no equipment, just some space to do it.
Try walking groups or outdoor Tai chi or yoga classes.
Use what you already have at home like water bottles or tinned food instead of hand weights.
Bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, triceps dips, planks and lunges can be effective without expensive equipment.
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As above, find free or affordable exercise options, such as online workouts or lower cost community classes.
Access indoor sports fields or indoor hydrotherapy pools.
(b) Financial factors
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Find free or affordable exercise options, such as online workouts or lower cost community classes.
Mat Pilates requires no equipment, just some space to do it.
Try walking groups or outdoor Tai chi or yoga classes.
Use what you already have at home like water bottles or tinned food instead of hand weights.
Bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, triceps dips, planks and lunges can be effective without expensive equipment.
(c) Time constraints
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Prioritise exercise by blocking out time to exercise in your diary.
Try exercising first thing in the morning to avoid not exercising at all or before family or work drama happens. (For benefits about why you should exercise in the morning, click here.)
Or break 30 minute workouts into shorter sessions throughout the day.
3 x 10 minute ones or break them into shorter sessions throughout the day.
Unsure of where you can fit exercise in your calendar? Try this exercise: For one week, write down everything you do in a day and how long it takes to do your daily activities.
You’ll be surprised to see how much time you procrastinate and how much time you spend scrolling through social media.
Now from what you can see from your monitoring, can you identify where you waste precious 15-30 minutes that you could be using to exercise?
Include incidental exercise into your day, that’s ‘any activity built up in small amounts over the day. For example, park your car further from the shop entrance and walk. (For ‘Simple sneaky ideas to get you moving,click here.)
(d) Social factors
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Flexible workout options can fit around caregiving duties
Integrate physical activity into daily routines, such as quick workouts during breaks or while caring for others.
In a 2013 study, middle-aged and elderly individuals cited 'not enough time', 'no one to exercise with', and 'lack of facilities' as the main external barriers to physical activity. Internal barriers for the middle-aged were 'too tired', 'already active enough', 'do not know how to do it', and 'too lazy'.
For the elderly, the internal barriers were 'too tired', 'lack of motivation', and 'already active enough.'
Other research concluded that people can overcome internal barriers like fatigue, lack of time, cost, and age with social support and by focusing on exercise benefits.
Research concluded that “Individuals can be motivated to overcome internal barriers (fatigue, lack of time, cost and age) through social support and emphasis on exercise benefits. External barriers (weather and lack of pavements or parks) can be reduced by raising awareness of existing infrastructure. Sedentary behaviour can be improved by implementing workplace measures, such as reducing the time spent sitting.’ BMC Public Health.
In conclusion, neglecting strength training often stems from various internal and external barriers. Internal barriers like lack of motivation and fear of injury can be addressed by setting achievable goals, seeking guidance, and creating a positive exercise environment. External barriers, such as limited time and access to facilities, can be overcome by incorporating short workouts into daily routines and using affordable resources.
Recognising and addressing these barriers can significantly enhance participation in strength training. With the right approach and support, you can reap the numerous benefits of strength training, leading to a healthier and independant active lifestyle.