bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Associated Press

When Sarah Baldassaro turned 50, she took stock of her health and began working with a fitness coach on strength training, a type of exercise that’s crucial for women in midlife.
“Now I would say I’m stronger overall than I ever have been at any age,” says Baldassaro, 52, of Alexandria, in the US state of Virginia. “My fitness level is much more like when I was in my early 30s.”
Medical experts say strength training keeps bones and muscles healthy after menopause, when oestrogen loss speeds up a reduction in bone density and contributes to the gradual loss of muscle mass.
This type of exercise, which involves working against resistance, also helps women maintain a healthy weight and stay on track with New Year’s resolutions about fitness.
“People underestimate how powerful it is,” says Dr Christina DeAngelis, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Penn State Health in the US state of Pennsylvania.
But what should your workout look like and how do you get started?
How to strength train with weights

Physical therapist Hilary Granat says bone and muscle health are intertwined: when muscle pulls on bone during resistance training, it stimulates bone-building cells.
Resistance can come from dumbbells, free weights or machines such as rowers. One example of a strength-training exercise is the chest press, which involves lying back on a bench or the ground, pressing weights up from chest level and then lowering them.
It is important to work “close to muscle failure”, says Granat, who owns Core Total Wellness in Washington. “You really have to push yourself.”
That means lifting weights that are heavy enough to be challenging and doing somewhere between six and 30 repetitions.
You will know you are working hard enough if you start slowing down in tempo or speed or cannot do another repetition in good form, she says.
A good rule of thumb for an exercise like a bicep curl is to lift weights somewhere between five pounds (2.3kg) and 20 pounds (9.1kg), with novices starting at the lower end.
Baldassaro has worked her way up to 20 pounds for some exercises, incorporating techniques she learned from Granat.
Baldassaro says the health coach has helped her expand her workouts beyond mostly cardio. While she still does aerobic exercises, “the strength training has really been the difference maker for me,” she says.
No weights? No problem
Building up bones and muscles does not necessarily require equipment. You can also do push-ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, crunches or planks. Another good exercise is squatting down with your back against a wall.
Even the simple act of getting into and out of a chair can be helpful, DeAngelis says.
“You have to engage your core going from sitting to standing,” she says. “That also allows you to work on your coordination and balance.”

There is also what Granat calls “impact training”: exercises such as walking, hiking, running, jumping, skipping and climbing stairs. On the high-impact end of the spectrum is a “rebound jump,” which involves jumping up and down from a step 10 to 30 times.
“We’re not talking about jumping hard and fast and a lot,” she says, adding that three times a week is enough.
Don’t forget about balance
Experts say middle-aged women should also perform balance exercises, which play a crucial role in preventing falls that can break or fracture bones.
These include tai chi, yoga or even standing on one leg while brushing your teeth for around 30 seconds.
All of these exercises are great for younger people, too, experts say, especially since bone mass peaks between the ages of 25 and 30 and slowly begins to lessen around age 40.
After seeing how strength training has improved her life, Baldassaro advises others: “Don’t wait. Get started.”


The hidden benefits of common vaccines, including reduced dementia and heart risks

How ‘the first Asian woman in hip hop’ went from misfit to managing Wu-Tang Clan members

This year, Hong Kong must resolve to rewrite the script for retirement

Hong Kong fitness charity founder lost 13kg in 4 months. Now she helps others get in shape

Wellness

Why strength training for women in midlife is so important and the best ways to do it

Sarah Baldassaro (left) demonstrates a strength-training regimen with her trainer, Hilary Granat, in Washington. Medical experts say strength training keeps bones and muscles healthy after menopause, when oestrogen loss speeds up a reduction in bone density and contributes to the gradual loss of muscle mass. Photo: AP

Baldassaro says Granat has helped her expand her workouts beyond cardio. Photo: AP 

Baldassaro performs lunges during a strength-training session. Photo: AP

What is SAD? Why seasonal affective disorder makes you feel down, and how to combat it

A man sits outside on a cold day in Hong Kong. SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is triggered by extreme weather changes and less daylight in winter, making us feel, well, sad. Photo: Dickson Lee

Norman Rosenthal coined the term SAD in 1984.

The cover of Rosenthal’s book. Photo: Amazon

Hong Kong psychotherapist Bea Smith says SAD is “three to four times more common in women”. Photo: Bea Smith

Physical activity triggers endorphins that act as natural antidepressants during cold snaps. Photo: Shutterstock

Jessica Lau, a counselling psychologist, says that what we eat can influence our emotional well-being. Photo: Jessica Lau

Mindful activities, like yoga, can help you relax and feel more grounded. Photo: Shutterstock

Studies show that light exposure can improve the moods of SAD sufferers. Photo: Shutterstock 

Taking morning walks may boost serotonin levels in the brain, lifting our moods. Photo: Dickson Lee

In Hong Kong, summer SAD is more prevalent than its cold-weather counterpart. Photo: Dickson Lee

How 79-year-old influencer lost 30kg and now has the bone density of a 20-year-old

Joan MacDonald took up her daughter Michelle’s challenge to overhaul her lifestyle, dropping from 90kg at the age of 70 (left) to 59kg at 79. Resistance training played a key part. Photo: Joan MacDonald

Joan MacDonald lifts weights at the gym. Photo: Joan MacDonald

Joan MacDonald with her daughter, fitness trainer Michelle MacDonald, who has spent almost a decade transforming her mother’s health. Photo: Instagram/michellemacdonaldofficial

Rotstein (centre) leads a Buff Bones class. Photo: buff-bones.com

Joan MacDonald lifts a kettlebell as part of a strength training workout to build muscle and bone. Photo: Instagram/trainwithjoan

Hong Kong orthopaedic surgeon Dr Athena Au. Photo: Dr Athena Au

This Chinese-Vietnamese plant-based influencer makes even haters love tofu

Wendy Luong, aka Wendy the Food Scientist, shares vegan cooking techniques that are backed by science and rooted in tradition on her Instagram and other social media pages. Photo: Wendy Luong

Luong holds a pan of crispy lentil crackers that are simple to make. Photo: Instagram/wendythefoodscientist

The cover of Luong’s cookbook. Photo: Wendy Luong

Luong says the trick is not to follow a recipe blindly but rather to understand the technique, then adapt it to what you have. Photo: Wendy Luong

Some of the simple dishes Luong features with recipes on her Instagram account include fresh soy milk, ginger tofu pudding, silken tofu with crispy chili oil, home-made firm tofu and soy yogurt. Photo: Instagram/wendythefoodscientist

How boredom can boost creativity and cognitive function, tackle anxiety and much more

Feeling bored? Experts say boredom boosts creativity, resets your nervous system and helps you assess if you need a change in life. Boredom also allows time to rest the brain and eyes and helps nurture development in young brains. Photo: Shutterstock

Michelle Kennedy, at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, says parents have scheduled their offspring’s time so tightly that there is no time for them to experience boredom. Photo: Michelle Kennedy

Dr Christian Chan says we often escape boredom too quickly by turning to our phones. Photo: Dr Christian Chan

Children today frequently have a device at hand to capture their interest. Photo: Shutterstock

Boredom can be a tool to help us reflect and choose, and when we sit with it, we can endure and grow. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Strength training after 50 helps women counter bone loss post-menopause, build muscle and maintain a healthy weight


Strength training after 50 helps women counter bone loss post-menopause, build muscle and maintain a healthy weight.


How to age well

Health & Fitness

Why strength training for women in midlife is so important and the best ways to do it

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Strength training after 50 helps women counter bone loss post-menopause, build muscle and maintain a healthy weight

Strength training after 50 helps women counter bone loss post-menopause, build muscle and maintain a healthy weight