3 Must Haves As A Senior When Exercising - "MBS"

First, I want to say that performing any amount or type of exercising is good, as long as you are using correct form and performing the right exercises for you. However, as a personal trainer, working with many seniors, most have poor balance and very little strength. There are three main ingredients to being fit as a senior that I emphasize with my clients.

First is Movement. Research shows that moving type exercises will help build bone density, improve cardiovascular health and flexibility. Exercises include ladder drills, plyometric (jumping), lunges, box step ups, seated rowers and other exercises where you are moving. If all you are doing is hitting the seated "machines" you are not getting the full benefit of a workout. While machines are good for many people depending on their current health, you want to include movement.

Second, is Balance. Having good balance improves posture, builds confidence and allows you to have better mobility and reduce your risk of falls. Balance is a foundation for exercise. Without it, you won't get the full benefit of an exercise program.

Third is Strength. Many seniors say they want strength, but they don't fully understand what strength is. Strength is the "maximum" amount of force your muscles can produce, while Power is how quickly you can apply that force. Strength does not mean doing three sets of 12 reps. While this will help build some strength, you will stagnate and most likely get bored. You have to think do I want strength, muscle definition or just the ability to perform certain tasks. Maybe it is strength endurance you want, so you can hold your grand child in your arms a little longer and not hurt your back. Some don't want "maximum strength" and really want strength endurance as an example.

So when you start a training program include "MBS" - Movement, Balance and Strength. But know what type of strength you want and where you want it. Here I will address three of the five phases of strength training. For younger adults the rep range is a little lower, but for seniors I recommend not going too heavy and instead use a lighter weight with higher reps.

For Stabilization Endurance - you want to perform 15-20 reps, where the last few reps start to get tough to do. Once you can do them easily, increase the weight. Perform 1-2 sets for each body part you want to target.

For Strength Endurance - 10-15 reps for 2-4 sets for each body part you want to target. You want to include some supersets and dropsets for endurance. A superset for example is where you perform 2 different exercises back to back with no rest such as biceps exercise with a triceps exercise, or two different tricep exercises.

For Muscular Definition - 8-12 reps for 3-6 sets for each body part you want to target. However, for this you don't want to do every set for the same number of reps. It is best to shoot for higher reps in the first set, then increase the weight for fewer reps and so on, but don't go below 8 reps as a senior.

Finally, always warm up before exercising and start out slow and progress from there.