Strength Training is for Everyone

The modern face of weight training has dramatically changed since the days of Jack LaLanne and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today health experts are urging an unusual group to participate in strength training - the elderly, sedentary and the frail.

Adding strength training (by working out with free weights, machines and bodyweight exercises) is good for everyone, young and old. According to the American Heart Association, even people with most heart conditions can benefit from a light weight training routine.

The association indicates that people who have uncontrolled hypertension, unstable heart disease, heart infections, arrhythmias and Marfan syndrome should NOT engage in weight training.

Physical therapist Marilyn Moffat reports about a client who is a 97 year old woman, "She lifts a 4-pound weight for her upper body strength regimen and 4 ½ pounds for her legs. She also rides a stationary bike for 15 minutes."

Moffat, an author and professor at New York University, further states that this is the major reason her client is "totally functionally independent."

The greatest benefit of strength training is the increased ability to perform everyday tasks such as lifting groceries or getting out of your chair.

Like any other fitness activity, you should check with your doctor before starting an fitness program, especially if you are over 40 years old and inactive.