Weight Training Tips for Seniors Starting a Gym Routine – Week 1
It’s always important to perform exercises correctly to prevent injury. There is never a need to lift weights that are so heavy that you cannot perform the movement with correct form and technique.
Performing an exercise without the proper form is not going to provide all the benefit it could, and may even result in injury, so be warned.
With this though in mind I have put together a brief guide that incorporates a 3 part series specifically targeted towards seniors who want to regain their health and fitness by going to the gym, and more specifically using resistance techniques (weight training). And no that doesn’t mean you will turn into a body builder, but you will gain strength and feel better.
First a warning, no matter your age, if you are starting an exercise routine, care must be taken to build up strength and flexibility in the working muscle groups. It is very common for a new gym goer to hurt themselves. It is also very common for a new gym goer to feel sore in the muscle groups, sore doesn’t mean you are injured, and know the difference.
The second part of this warning is to make sure you consult your doctor before starting any exercise routine.
Perhaps somewhat controversially for a personal trainer, I am going to recommend that before you even contact a gym or a personal trainer that you first start moving and prepare your body for what’s about to come. These article will cover a 3 week plan to help you get moving before going to a gym, there would be nothing worse than joining a gym, going too hard and hurting yourself, and never going to the gym again. This process to help you get healthy the right way and keep you on the health and fitness journey.
The new gym user should spend some time stretching and performing moderate exercise for a few weeks before adding weights. This will help to get the muscles used to working again. A good suggestion is to perform stretches and walking every other day for the first week. This can help to invigorate you. Just build up the walk duration by adding a few minutes each day. The goal here is to just get your muscles moving.
Couple the walking with stretches. As you are mainly moving your legs stretch your legs muscles just as much as you feel comfortable. Do not bounce and do not try to over stretch. You should be able to increase your ability to stretch more each day. Again you only need to aim for small incremental improvements each day.
Bonus tips:
- Start slow and build up.
- Drink lots of water.
- Bring a friend for motivation.
Note, at any time if you feel pain, stop the exercise and consult your doctor.
Weight Training Tips for Seniors Starting a Gym Routine – Week 2
Once you have started to get your muscles moving in the first week, you can start to increase the work load. You will soon be surprised to see how quickly your fitness levels will increase. This slow start may be frustrating to some, but it’s all in trying to increase fitness levels safely without getting sore muscles, or worse injury.
The next step is to walk and stretch every day, while continuing to increase the duration of each session, again by a few minutes at a time. It’s important to not overdo it.
Pay attention to your shoes when you are walking. Good shoes will prevent injury like shin splints. Also going slow and building up the muscles will also help prevent injuries like shin splints, as will stretching.
After you get back from your walk (and you are warmed up) start to include upper body stretches. A few simple moves can be to raise your arms slowly.
Start by resting your arms down along you’re your body. Raising both arms together until they are parallel in front of you , hold, then lower until they are by your side again, rest. This whole movement should take about 4 seconds, 1 second to raise, 1 second to hold, 1 second to lower, and 1 second to rest. Repeat a few times.
Next step is to change the position of your arms, instead of raising your arms to the front, raise them to the side. Everything else is identical.
Last is to raise your arms overhead.
As you did with the walking you can start this every other day, and remember to start slow, you do not want to be feeling pain the following day. So stop well before you feel exhausted.
Bonus Tips:
The next step is to walk and stretch every day, while continuing to increase the duration of each session, again by a few minutes at a time. It’s important to not overdo it.
Pay attention to your shoes when you are walking. Good shoes will prevent injury like shin splints. Also going slow and building up the muscles will also help prevent injuries like shin splints, as will stretching.
After you get back from your walk (and you are warmed up) start to include upper body stretches. A few simple moves can be to raise your arms slowly.
Start by resting your arms down along you’re your body. Raising both arms together until they are parallel in front of you , hold, then lower until they are by your side again, rest. This whole movement should take about 4 seconds, 1 second to raise, 1 second to hold, 1 second to lower, and 1 second to rest. Repeat a few times.
Next step is to change the position of your arms, instead of raising your arms to the front, raise them to the side. Everything else is identical.
Last is to raise your arms overhead.
As you did with the walking you can start this every other day, and remember to start slow, you do not want to be feeling pain the following day. So stop well before you feel exhausted.
Bonus Tips:
- Relax in a warm bath at the end of each walking session.
- Stretch before and after walking.
- Try walking different routes each day, look around the neighbourhood, walk around a park, along the coast. Make your surroundings enjoyable.
- Pick the right time of day to exercise, middle of the day if it’s cold, early morning late afternoon if it’s hot.
Weight Training Tips for Seniors Starting a Gym Routine – Week 3
OK, so by now you should have added your exercise regime into your daily routine, and hopefully you are enjoying the feeling of the blood pumping around your body, and can see some progress.
Remember to keep stretching before and after exercising, its very important to making sure you don’t pickup an injury.
You may have guessed whats next. It is simply continue to improve your stretching, walking duration, and add in the arm movements to each day.
Additionally a couple of smaller exercises can start to be added, push up’s and squats can be good exercises to start, but only if you are able.
Note, don’t start this if you don’t feel ready.
Performing squats is best started by handing onto a wall of bench. Keep your back straight and bend your knees, only dip as far as you can. Perfom 1 or 2 squats and don’t overdo it.
Pushups can be done on the ground or at an angle if done against a bench. Hold a bench let your arms bend so you check works towards the bench and push out, do not go further than you are capable, again only do 1 or 2 the first day. If bench pushup become too easy, you can progress to pushup on the ground, start by pushing up but keeping your knees on the ground, as you build more strength you can progress to pushups on your toes.
If you feel OK, you can add more squats and pushups with each workout.
Hopefully you have seen that a little bit of exercise each day can quickly increase your health and fitness levels. If any of this program is moving too quickly, just take the extra time to get yourself ready for the gym. I have seen results in 3 weeks, but I have also dealt with people who take a little bit longer, just go at your own pace, the important thing as always is to prevent injury.
The goal we have been aiming for should be close, you should be able to perform exercise without feeling sore the following day. The past 3 weeks we have been preparing your body for exercise by starting slow and building up effort. Hopefully you can feel the difference in your general well being, and at some point in the near future you can contact your local personal trainer and take the next step by joining a gym.
Once you join a gym and start working with a personal trainer you will start some very light weights and continue to build in a way that prevents injury, all why enjoying the feeling of exercising and knowing that you are improving your overall health.