article about older women lifting

[KayB]

Thanks, Linda! Nice to see another Lady Vols fan.😀

[fanofladyvols]

Originally Posted by KayB

Thanks, Linda! Nice to see another Lady Vols fan.😀

Wahooooo!!! A VFer AND a fellow Lady Vol Fan!!!

Let me know if you ever go to a game!!

[meg39]

Originally Posted by MelissaA

Interesting timing. I have an appointment with a physical therapist today to find out how to lift safely after a mastectomy. I'm curious if there are any moves I should no longer do, how heavy I should go, etc. I used to be so strong and am now so weak, so I have to start somewhere to regain what I've lost. BTW, I'm 52.

Melissa, I am 5 years out from a bilateral mastectomy. It took me awhile to get my strength back, but it does come back! I remember feeling so weak and how even opening a door handle felt strange. My plastic surgeon told me not to do any chest work, but a lot of workouts seem to include chest work, so i would just use low weight (or no weight) and do it for the range of motion. I am back to using a little bit of heavier weights and doing pushups, but it did take awhile. I also have to watch the weights I use on tricep work, because it seems to bother my arm on the side I had lymph nodes removed.

Good luck!

[hch]

Thanks for sharing! (I meant to post earlier.)

I kept thinking of a potential set of articles that develop points raised here.

I'd like to see more open discussion of the reasons that "older women hefting big weights" are typically rarer than "older men hefting big weights" (and not just in Australia). The article, including its quotations, mentions both "older people" and "older women" without much talk about the difference. The article speaks mainly about what one person calls a "'but it's too heavy' mentality" and what another calls "this headspace of 'I can't do this at my age.'" There's a mention of "preconceptions about what an older woman can do," but it's brief.

I'd also like to see more discussion of what has changed such that one person quoted here said, "It's no longer unusual to walk into a gym and see a woman who's over 50 swinging a kettlebell or putting a barbell on her shoulders," and another said, "People in their 50s and over ... [are] realising they can be in better shape than their parents were at this age." Even if this article doesn't talk about why (and I can understand some possible reasons that it doesn't), such news is good to hear anyway.

Other pieces may also explore related topics, such as the reasons why some women prefer "a women-only environment that might feel less intimidating" or reasons that younger women, who tend to become the older women addressed here, have been (and still are ) unnecessarily dissuaded from heavier weights.

I also realized--later than I should've --that this article doesn't at all invoke such reasons as a body's weight, fat, size, shape, or looks to encourage older women to train. I find this lack refreshing.

[hch]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcopenia

Too bad many of the women I know have no interest in weight lifting.

I also meant to ask you (but forgot to post this question earlier ):

You don't have to ask them just to answer my question, but do you know why they're uninterested?

Originally Posted by lreidgreen

Yes strength is very important which is why at age 56 I still lift. And Ruth Bader Ginsburg is in her 80's and lifts. In fact I was at the bookstore last week and her trainer has published a book outlining the program he developed for her. I didn't get a chance to look at it but there was a funny article in Politico about her routine several months ago.

There was a thread here too about a Politico article:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Workout

Originally Posted by Eibhinn

Along with the goofy commentary, there is some important discussion of the importance of exercise as we age. I was particularly glad to see the part about the need for squats to make sure we can get up from the toilet unassisted. I remember reading something about that here on VF years ago (that most people end up in nursing homes due to the loss of posterior chain strength) and it always stuck with me.

I remember the mentions too.

[toaster]

This is a somewhat related question I've been thinking about of late. First, I enjoy weight-lifting, including going heavy at times; I'm turning 50 later this month and have no plans to stop. At the same time, I also enjoy lower weight/higher rep works, which I feel trains the muscles in a different way. But lately, I have seen A LOT of articles along the lines of "if you aren't lifting heavy, you are wasting your time."

So what do the experts here think? Is there a place to lift heavy, generally with less reps, and also derive benefits from lighter weight, higher rep workouts? Of course, I know that many VFers are fans of the latter too, but is there support for what we are doing? Are we "wasting" our time?

[Sara1000]

I have lifted weights for over 40 years but I find even so nowadays, in my 70's, it's easy to strain a joint or ligament so I have cut back on heavy weights

[bzar]

our local newspaper has a weekly "health" insert, which is a collection of articles about healthy aging. there was an article about 80+ YO bodybuilder Ernestine Shepherd this past week. i had forgotten about her being mentioned here at VF.

[yogapam]

Originally Posted by toaster

This is a somewhat related question I've been thinking about of late. First, I enjoy weight-lifting, including going heavy at times; I'm turning 50 later this month and have no plans to stop. At the same time, I also enjoy lower weight/higher rep works, which I feel trains the muscles in a different way. But lately, I have seen A LOT of articles along the lines of "if you aren't lifting heavy, you are wasting your time."

So what do the experts here think? Is there a place to lift heavy, generally with less reps, and also derive benefits from lighter weight, higher rep workouts? Of course, I know that many VFers are fans of the latter too, but is there support for what we are doing? Are we "wasting" our time?

Gosh I'd hate to think I'm wasting my time doing high rep/low weight workouts, lol. I don't believe that's the case, although those who lift heavy probably disagree. I can't lift heavy, and have never had any burning desire to. Plus my wrists and knees can't take it so it's not worth risking pain or injury. I do strength work for toning & especially for bone building. I have done some reading and there is evidence that high rep/low wt does have bone building benefits. Here's one article I found:
http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/res...or-bone-health

[Sara1000]

Thanks for the link, Pam. Very encouraging!