Adults should weight lift twice a week to stay fit and healthy, new guidelines say
Adults should lift weights twice a week to stay fit and healthy, according to new national guidelines.
Top doctors state that muscle strengthening exercises could help delay the natural decline in muscle mass and bone density that starts from around age 50.
Physical activity guidelines from the UK’s chief medical officers state that this is believed to be a central reason for why older people lose their ability to carry out daily tasks.
As such, exercises including lifting weights, using resistance machines, heavy gardening, carrying heavy shopping, and holding young children should be repeated until the muscles feel temporarily “tired out” and unable to repeat the exercise until rested, the guidelines recommend.
This could also help minimize the risk of falls – the number one reason older people are taken to A&E.
