The age range of our clients at Onpoint Fitness in Hertford is from 25 - 65. 

This shows that many people, including ourselves as the personal trainers, are embracing the idea of weight training through our 40s, 50s and beyond. 

Not only is there a huge amount of science backing the improved brain function, health and wellbeing benefits, but it will also slow down ageing and keep us feeling younger as we get older.

Our personal training programs always champion weight training and our team training bootcamp classes include weight training 3 days a week, so we have called on our female strength training expert, Sian, to take us through her top 4 reasons to weight train in your 40s and beyond...

Staying Injury Free!

Let's face it, picking up a niggle when you're in your 40s takes a hell of a lot longer to recover from than when you're in your 20s, so doing what we can to avoid this will keep you going for longer and allow you to perform a greater levels.

Avoiding this doesn't mean avoiding training, quite the opposite actually. It's vital you include strength training in your weekly routine and work towards lifting as heavy as you can with good supervision of course.

Regular stimulation is the most important thing for older clientele, so anything we can do to not miss out on vital training time will need to be number one priority.

So, look after yourself!

Lots of Variety!

I love helping people find exercises they love, I mean adherence is vital to achieving great results, but it is important to keep plenty of variety in your workouts, particularly as you get older. I don't just mean the type of exercises you do but also the way in which you do things. 

In my personal training programs and occasionally in my classes I take at OnPoint, I like to add a little spin to the way we do things and that can vary from tempo, angles, time, amongst many others.

I also champion the use of conditioning in my clients workouts as cardiovascular health is not only important but a bit of a growing concern in my older clients. Therefore 'staying fit', however you choose to do it, is going to serve you very well.

Stay Supple!

Before every workout, I make sure my clients go through a full body mobility routine as this not only prepares you for the session ahead but is key to staying healthy as you age.

As we get older, we 'get away with it' a lot less, and the idea of sacrificing technique for the amount of weight we lift, much like we do when we're younger, doesn't seem to go as well. In fact, it can cause a lot more harm than good and as stated in point 1, it can take a lot longer to recover from. 

So, a good stretch before and after workouts, and even on days off from the gym when you can, will only help you stay in good shape for the rest of your life.

Keep Active and Have Fun!

Without shadow of a doubt, the key is in finding something you enjoy and doing it regularly. Simply staying active outside of the gym and going for more walks is vital and overlooked. As we get older, it's less about the gym and looking good and more about how it makes us feel, so finding an activity or sport that you like doing and can enjoy with others will keep you active for years to come.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear from the results we get with our clients in their 40s, 50s and beyond, that resistance training is extremely beneficial for your fitness, brain function, mobility, muscles and strength, and overall health as you age.

It’s never too late to start some form of strength training, and having a personal trainer create a bespoke exercise programme designed around your capabilities, needs and personal goals is always the best way forward.

To find out more about Personal Training with myself, please visit our personal training website page here.

Thank you for reading and I wish you all the best in your fitness journey... whatever age it begins!