Strength training is for everyone, and it can be especially beneficial as we grow older, according to fitness coach Jen Rulon.
This is because it helps maintain muscle and strength, making daily tasks easier as well as boosting your balance and reducing your risk of injury.
The end result? You can retain a fit and functional body at any age, leaving you able to do everyday tasks like carrying heavy grocery bags, picking up your kid or grabbing something off the ground.
Below, Rulon shares her three top strength training exercises for people aged 50 and above.
Jen Rulon is a triathlon and fitness coach with more than two decades of experience. She also holds a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science, and is the author of “Self Motivation Strategies for Women: How to Achieve Your Goals to Transform Every Aspect of Your Life”. Beyond this, Jen has also completed 15 Ironman Triathlons and qualified for the World Championships in 2017.
Jen Rulon’s top three strength training exercises
1. Squat
(Image credit: Getty / Interstid)
How to squat
- Stand upright with your feet roughly hip-width apart and your toes pointed outwards slightly. The optimal starting position will vary from person to person, so play around to see what feels best for you.
- Push your hips back then bend your knees to lower your hips towards the ground, as if you were sitting onto a chair behind you. As you do this, keep your core braced, your chest up and your back straight.
- When you have lowered your hips as far as you can towards the ground, while keeping your chest facing forward, drive through your feet to return to the starting position.
Benefits of squats
Rulon’s picks revolve around compound exercises, which recruit multiple muscles and joints for maximum efficiency and effect.
The squat is probably the best-known example, activating the glutes or backside muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings (which make up the thighs), abs and…
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