My favourite colour is pink but not when it comes to dumbbells. Let me explain.

The most important form of exercise for men and women over 50 must be strength training. For women in particular the health benefits are impressive. At around the age of 35  our bones are at their strongest, after this the cells that break bone down slowly start to outnumber those that build it.   Throw in the reduction in oestrogen following the menopause and our skeleton may slowly become brittle, weakened and prone to fractures (osteoporosis).  We probably all know someone that has sustained a broken hip or wrist during a fall that would never had happened (the fall and the fracture) if they were a decade or so younger. It can be life changing.

The good news is that strength training can slow this process down as it increases bone density and increased muscle strength will improve balance thereby taking  a tumble less likely as you get older. Posture will also be improved by preventing  kyphosis of the spine (hump back) which not only makes you look older but can suppress the chest resulting in respiratory disease. If this isn’t convincing enough unlike cardio exercise (running, cycling) strength training can boost your metabolic rate for 24-36 hours post exercise. You can have that post workout chocolate bar with the smug knowledge that your body is blasting it out of the water.

I love weight training but I know many women aren’t convinced of the benefits. Some believe that they are going to end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator not Compare the Meerkat) or that it is dangerous. Firstly, women don’t produce the levels of testosterone that would result in bulky muscles. Women can usually only bulk up by taking testosterone supplements.  Plus, if you use the correct technique injuries, although possible, are unlikely. What you will end up with is a strong, toned, lean body.

But I think that the real challenge is overtaking the fear of stepping into the free weights area of a gym. When I first started going to a gym many years ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of picking up a dumbbell.  Dumbbells were located where men roamed between short bursts of noisy exertion.  I then started using a personal trainer and a whole new world opened up to me. It wasn’t the scary place I thought it was and I now understand why weight trainers sit around a lot but I will leave that for another blog.

I am very fortunate that I  belong to a training facility that runs weight lifting technique classes which is pretty unusual although most gyms have free weigh areas and run body pump classes. But there is nothing to stop men and women using dumbbells in the comfort of their own homes. I would however advise a couple of sessions with a trainer to ensure that you are getting the technique right.

So to get back to the pink dumbbells. To get the full benefits of weight training your body needs to be challenged. If you are doing five repetitions of an exercise using a dumbbell and the last one is as easy as the first then you are not going heavy enough. A brief search of Amazon for pink dumbbells would conclude you would be hard pushed to find anything heavier than a bag of sugar. Out of the women I train with I probably have the weakest arms yet I rarely pick up a dumbbell weighing less than 10kg (22lbs).

So ladies move away from the pink dumbbells, grab hold of the black and grey ones and embrace the benefits of weight training.