Is it essential to do weights in your 50s?

[dameofdilemma]

I keep reading (and being told) of the dangers of osteoporosis in menopausal women, importance of strengthening muscles etc.
Do I really really have to start doing weights?

Background is I run regularly (5k 5 times a week) and have done for decades. I also do regular Pilates (both reformer and mat). I’m 50, periods seem to have stopped but haven’t had any other MP symptoms yet.

Pre pandemic I used to go to the gym and did a little bit of weights but it bores me to tears.
Also my exercise window is around half an hour first thing in the morning and maybe 20 mins some evenings. Rest of time is filled with work, childcare, etc.

Is it inevitable that I’ll end up with injuries? Any other runners in their 50s do no weights (looks hopeful…)

My experience with running and weights - I'm 57, had been running over 50 miles a week for several years but had to stop for a few months due to a bunion operation: I didn't lose any weight or gain muscle even when running so much:
During the post op period I discovered Caroline Girvan strength training and love it, I now have muscles, the aches and pains I had have disappeared and due to the lunges, squats, glute exercise running is so much easier: So I've decided to cut running to 25 miles a week and continue with CG as my body looks and feels so much better and daily life is just easier in general!

Interesting. I will have a look

Oh no. I need to do this. The thought though.

My Pilates often includes weight bearing on the hands - downward dog, various box position based moves, some plank type of things - but our instructor adapts exercises as needbe if we have injuries or particular issues.

I'm 62 and have just started Caroline Girvan as want to get a bit stronger before doing some sailing again.

Which Caroline Girvan do you recommend starting with as I’m keen to start strength training in addition to running.

I'd do Iron, it's what I started with and it's a good compliment to running as i's pure strength with heavier weights (a lot of the other programmes are faster paced with some HIT workouts): Plus it's slower paced so you have more time to get to know the exercises if you are new to strength training (as I was)

Brilliant, thanks for this, will give it a go as I do want to give a bit more attention to this going forward.

I'm a 51 year old PT and do recommend that women over 50 do strength training. Whilst other exercise will strengthen muscles, strength training is proven to be the most effective and builds muscle evenly all over your body (eg running and cycling will mainly do lower body).

The good news is that you only need to do it 2 x per week to get results. To make sure you're doing the exercises right join a gym and get an intro to the equipment or book a PT for a couple of sessions.

Most of my clients are women over 50 and they get the hang of it really quickly and love it. Its a very satisfying hobby!

@Gabrielleohare thanks for your post, have you ever watched the Caroline Girvan series? What exercises are best for over 50's in your opinion? I'm not sure running actually 'builds' muscle unless you are a sprinter. I know that since starting strength training with lots of lunges, squats and hip thrusts, my hamstrings, quads and glutes are much much stronger than when I just ran and cycled. The difference is huge.

Probably. Sadly.
I'm 48. I run, do martial arts and HIIT. I've finally gone back to Body Pump even though I hate it as the music is weirdly crap as it'll do me good.
Will do pilates / yoga again in the future.

Yes, sorry late back!

It might be worth finding out what your risk for osteoporosis is. The NHS doesn't offer DEXA scans to everyone, but there is a tool on the Royal Osteoporosis Society website which gives an idea as to whether you have any risk factors for osteoporosis: theros.org.uk/ and if you do you could then request a scan. Obviously it's worth doing the strength training in any case but good to check out, there's also other useful info on their website.

According to research, older people should. I have free membership and keep threatening myself I'll go.

I mentioned running builds muscle (which it will, especially when you just start) because I don’t want people to think that strength training is the only way to build muscle and strength because it isn’t. Lots of exercise will
do that, but strength training is the most effective for full body strength.

For anyone who wants to run or cycle or play any sport, strength training will help you improve.

Over 50s can do the same exercises as any age and any programme should be properly balanced which includes:

Core: plank type exercises plus exercises which work the side, twisting muscles, eg Russian twists, side bends. Lower abs are usually weaker than higher up so mountain climbers are good for this. As well as making sure your abs are fully engaged for all exercise (ie you can feel the burn when you are doing them)

Lower body: Squats, lunges, step ups, glute bridges and glute thrusts. It’s important not to ignore side leg movements which work the glute medius which is often weak, so side laying leg raises and glute bands are good.

Chest and back: push ups, on knees is fine or against a wall or work top, rows and back extensions (lying on the floor face down and raising your chest off the floor)

Arms: Shoulders are often weaker as we age so shoulder presses, lateral raises, bicep curls and tricep presses.

It sounds like a lot but you can cover all of this in an hour 2 x per week.

I just did that ROS risk calculator.
I put in my data for now (age mid 50s) & repeated presuming I was age 75+ and adding one change, steroids, since I'll be on some medication at age 75, right?

Said the steroids would put me in elevated risk category. But not if no steroids. The calculator didn't ask about resistance or weight bearing exercise especially.

Interesting, but none of mine or DH parents took or take permanent medication. Is it that uncommon to be drug free at 75?

Thanks for that list, @Gabrielleohare !

I've done the first 5 days of the Caroline Girvan iron series now (with smaller weights than her obviously!) - quite enjoyed most of it so far.

Yes unusual. Good for your parents, may we all be so lucky.

"About half of over 75s take five or more medicines and this increases with age"

2001 study, England residents : 75% of people age 65-74 on regular medications, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11350536/

Re the conversation re bone density with weights, one of my clients (55) recently had a dexa scan. She'd had cancer and chemo a few years previously and had osteoporosis. After the diagnosis she had done more walking and changed her diet to include more veg as per hospital advice. (Dairy is not recommended for bone health after some cancers). Her next scan showed an improvement and she was classed as having osteopenia. Then she added strength training and in her last scan her bone density was back to normal. She had done Pilates for about 10 years and has been doing weights for about 9 months, for the first time in her life. To get the benefit you have to do heavy weights. A heavy weight is defined as something that you can lift for 8-12 reps before you start to really struggle. It's this point of struggling that triggers bone and muscle to build.
To begin with you do lighter weights to learn the technique and later you gradually build up.

This client of mine is thrusting around 60kg and squatting (using a hex bar that you pull off the floor rather than a bar across the shoulders) of around 35kg.

There are plenty of studies of post menopausal women increasing bone and muscle strength with weight training and even women in their 90s have achieved it so it's never too late ladies!

A good book is called Strong Women Stay Young which is written by a medic who did studies on it.

Holy crap! My DM is 79 and fit as a flea. Her best friend is still skiing at 83, and another one still runs!

I started exercising with weights in my early 60s and it has been life changing.

I started out with Rebecca Louise, using light weights (3kg).
Progressed to Growingannanas - HIIT with and without weights (5kg)

Then I found Caroline Girvan and life has not been the same since. Started off with EPIC Beginners, then EPIC 1, 2 and 3, followed by Heat, Endgame and Iron. Now using 5-12.5 kg dumbbells.

I am superfit - fitter than in my 40s. Highly recommend.

Core strengthening exercises alongside are vital. A good start are Rebecca Louise's Best Abs, Caroline Girvan's Braced Core & Abs and her 15-minute plank workout, as well as the Bowflex 3-minute plank (which I do virtually every day).

When I say it has been life-changing I really mean it.

Please don’t take up weights in your fifties. I got pressured into it by my gym (when I just wanted jogging and zumba and a bit of core strength). Now I have a permanently damaged spine and can’t work out at all for the foresee future.

That's awful, I'm so sorry 😔
It sounds as if the gym were negligent and didn't advise you properly?

That does sound like poor technique teaching and negligence @PetShop I'm not 50s but I know of people who started weights at that age, and decade later. It's extremely beneficial

Sorry to hear that though

I follow someone on Instagram who started weight training in her 70s. The issues the pp has had are not from weights per se, but poor technique and form which may be down to poor tuition or a lack of tuition.