Ten years ago, when turning 50, I realised that it was important that I had strength, flexibility and good balance as I got older. All things that vanish if you don't work on them. In addition to my twice weekly strength training, I have added in a weekly yoga class, which on top of my walking and cycling have kept me strong.
As I have now entered my next decade, keeping strong, flexible and having good balance is becoming more important. I want to be able to lift things without worrying about injury, walk and move without fear of losing my balance and continue doing all the things I want to do for a long time yet.
'Power' is one of the other important things to retain as we age. It is defined as 'the ability to apply force rapidly - using fast-twitch muscle fibers in short explosive bursts.' While strength allows you to lower into a chair, power is what enables you to get back up. If you lose your balance, power allows you to quickly recover and avoid a fall.
Retaining your power enables you to lift groceries, retain confidence when you are walking, cycling, exercising or even getting in and out of your car.
After the age of 55, strength declines around 1 to 3 percent per annum if you aren't strength training, but power disappears at a rate almost double that - and you may not notice that you have lost your power until it is gone. (Thanks to the New York Times for this information).
How do you know if you are losing power?
The easiest way is to the 'sit-to-stand' test - which can also give you an idea of what your risk for falling is.
Sit in a chair with a straight back and no arm rests.
Cross your arms over your chest, resting your hands on your shoulders, feet flat on the floor.
Start a time for 30 seconds and count how many times you can move from sitting to standing.
Now, when I did this, I careful sat down and then stood up, then Peter showed me that your goal is to be as quick as you can with your bottom touching the chair, without wobbling or falling. Practice a few times before giving yourself the real test.
Men over 65 should be able to do 12 or more.
Women over 65 should be able to do 11 or more.
One study suggests that men under 60 should be able to complete at least 17 repetitions and women 15.
So what can you do if you have lost power?
Start working on it, along with your strength, balance and flexibility. You can build power quickly, starting with body-weight exercises and building up to having weights.
Here are some routines that you could look at to start off with:
https://www.verywellfit.com/20-minute-senior-weight-training-workout-3498676
https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/strength-and-power-exercises-for-older-adults
