How Sports Training Can Keep You Active Longer

Making sure that you don’t lose your strength and avoiding getting hurt are both trainable goals that will help you enjoy being active years into the future.

How Fast Do You Actually Lose Muscle As You Age?

Adults experience muscle mass decreases ranging from 3% to 8% each decade after turning 30, and the rate of decline increases faster after you turn 60. Sarcopenia is the term you’ll hear healthcare professionals use to describe the involuntary loss of muscle mass and strength.

When you’re wondering, “How long does it take to lose muscle?”, you might already be at an age where your body naturally loses strength. A fitness training program is designed to help you stay stronger and prevent injuries.

How Strength Training Slows Age-Related Muscle Loss

Strength training places demands on the body that signals it to make changes at the cellular level. Weightlifting and using resistance equipment creates microscopic tears in the muscle fibers that cause your body to use proteins to repair and rebuild the tissue.

Participating in strength training for older adults also helps to activate stem cells that help rebuild and enlarge muscle tissue. Exploring a few common FAQs can help you further understand how strength training can reduce muscle loss.

How to Prevent the Most Common Sports Injuries

Figuring out how to prevent sports injuries is an important component of aging well. Fitness instructors can help you set up routines that incorporate progressive loading to prevent you from doing too much too fast.

Addressing mobility and stability imbalances can also help you prevent injuries that are caused by overcompensation from other muscles and ligaments. Sports trainers can help you to use proper movement mechanics by observing your form and giving personalized feedback to make your workouts safer.

The Sports Injuries That Sideline People Most Often

Knowing the most common sports injuries helps you take steps to prevent experiencing pain, discomfort or range of motion loss that limits your progress.

Sprains and Strains

A sprain happens when you overstretch or tear a ligament, and a strain is a similar injury that happens to a muscle or tendon. Both can cause serious pain and loss of the normal range of motion, which can slow down your progress.The most common locations for sprains and strains in older adults include the knees and ankles, shoulders, and lower back. 

Tendinitis

Tendinitis happens when a tendon becomes inflamed or irritated. Feeling an ache or sharp pain around a joint is a sign of tendinitis. Since rest is important for helping the tendon heal, avoiding this injury helps you keep up your strength training.

Overuse Injuries

Repeating the same movements without proper rest times can cause you to damage muscles, bones and tendons.

When Physical Therapy Fits Into the Picture

Experiencing a sports injury and physical therapy can work together to help you maintain your strength levels. If you have an injury, then a fitness trainer can plan customized physical therapy sessions that help you heal and avoid injuring your body again.

Sport-Specific Training: Golf, Adult Leagues and Beyond

Golf performance training helps you strengthen the muscles you use for your swing. On top of improving your sports performance, you’ll also be able to avoid frustrating losses as you age by maintaining your muscle mass.

Structured programs for strength training are available in group and private settings. Working with a fitness instructor makes both of your goals to avoid injuries and stay active easier to sustain long-term.