BIG DUMBBELLS and barbells may be intimidating, especially for older people, but with proper technique and dedication, trainees will surprise themselves, says Kathleen Jaromin, a Health First Physical Trainer who shared her wisdom with Florida Today in a recent column.

Health First Physical Trainer Kathleen Jaromin, FMS, CPT, recently contributed a column to Florida Today. She said that the notion that weightlifting is for younger bodies may in fact be the exact opposite. Strength training with weights can help slow the loss of muscle tissue that happens naturally as we all age.

“Everything you fear about what could happen by lifting weights is happening by not lifting,” she says.

Humans begin losing muscle mass 3% to 8% each decade beginning at 30, and it accelerates after 60.

“Think about that, age 30 – much earlier than you thought!”

Strength training can improve not just muscle mass, but a person’s range of motion, and it can even be a tool for pain management. That’s right, far from avoiding strength training because of pain, it can be used to ease pain in certain conditions.

READ the full column in Florida Today HERE.