Keep fit: Most of us should be doing strength-building exercise at least twice a week, according to NHS guidelines
Most of us should be doing strength-building exercise — such as lifting weights — at least twice a week, according to NHS guidelines. Doing so helps stave off the natural weakening that comes with age.
In fact, in a study of almost 4,000 older people who lifted weights regularly, those who lifted the heaviest weights lived longer, it was reported at the European Society of Cardiology conference earlier this year.
But long gone are the days when dumbbells were your only option, with weights now coming in a variety of forms — from bars and hoops to gloves and even vests — to suit individual requirements, whether it’s building leg muscles, toning hips or improving wrist strength.
Here, Tim Allardyce, a physiotherapist and clinical director at the Surrey Physio clinic, recommends a selection so you can find one to suit your needs...
W8BAR WEIGHTED AEROBIC BAR
Weight to go! These bars are an alternative to dumbbells for strengthening the upper body
From £18.99, wersports.com
CLAIM: This 1.25m bar comes in different weights, from 2kg to 12kg, and is said to help ‘increase stability, develop core strength and build endurance’.
EXPERT VERDICT: These bars are an alternative to dumbbells for strengthening upper body muscles, especially the arms and shoulders (and are easier to store). This is particularly useful as we age because keeping our arms strong means we maintain independence in lifting and carrying heavy objects.
A good exercise to try is bicep curls, where you hold the bar in both hands and bring it towards your chest. Do ten repetitions, take a rest, then repeat.
Unless you’re familiar with weights and know what you want to use them for, start with the lowest weight and work upwards as you gain strength.
The bar can also be used for aerobic exercise such as circuit training and yoga workouts.
The downside is that, in order to be versatile, the bar is quite long — so you need to practise getting control of it.
BEST FOR: Strengthening arms.
YAKAMOZ FINGER EXERCISER
Tip: This gadget could also be used if you have mild arthritis in the hands, as it gently keeps them mobile
£5.69, amazon.co.uk
CLAIM: This lightweight gadget has buttons that look like the valves on a trumpet. You can adjust the tension of each button to strengthen each finger individually, the maker says, and it can also improve dexterity, co-ordination and flexibility.
EXPERT VERDICT: Injuries affecting the fingers are known to take months to heal, as the ligaments are slow to recover. But using a finger strengthening tool such as this can help speed up recovery, as it keeps them moving — it improves grip, too.
This gadget could also be used if you have mild arthritis in the hands, as it gently keeps them mobile, which strengthens the muscles. It may even be beneficial for use after a mild stroke, to help improve weakness in the hand.
BEST FOR: Strengthening grip and dexterity after a hand injury or for mild arthritis.
BODYMAX MEDICINE BALL
Fact: There are hundreds of exercises you can do with a medicine ball in order to improve balance, co-ordination and strength
£19.99, powerhouse-fitness.co.uk (pictured above right)
CLAIM: This rubber ball is available from 1kg up to 10kg. Lifting one stretches muscles and makes them more flexible, says the maker.
EXPERT VERDICT: There are hundreds of exercises you can do with a medicine ball in order to improve balance, co-ordination and strength. A 2015 study from the University of Illinois in the U.S. showed that exercising with a weighted ball such as this can improve balance and also lead to fewer falls in older people.
Researchers said doing dynamic movements with the ball — such as catching it with different force, or doing lunges with it in your hands — can make people more prepared for and confident in dealing with sudden or unexpected actions, such as a fall.
My favourite exercise is the walking lunge and twist (which works the quadricep in the thighs, calf muscles and the obliques on the waist). Hold a medicine ball and take a step forward, then bend your front knee and lower yourself so that you are in the lunge position. Holding this position, rotate your torso to one side. Swap and repeat with the other leg forward. Repeat ten times, twice daily.
BEST FOR: General strength and preventing falls.
POWERGLOVES WEIGHTED GLOVES
Age appropriate: These gloves would be suitable for over- 60s to wear for exercises
£8.50, amazon.co.uk (pictured right)
CLAIM: These fabric gloves are heavy, at 0.5kg, 1kg or 2kg per pair. The maker says they strengthen your arms and increase calories burnt while exercising.
EXPERT VERDICT: As we age, muscles start to shrink (known as atrophy), but using a gentle weight can help to improve muscle endurance in the arms and slow this weakening. Used regularly, these weighted gloves can strengthen muscles in the arm — triceps and biceps — as well as the deltoids in the shoulders, which helps make the
