As people live longer, protecting the ability to function physically is one of the most important aspects of health and wellbeing. In recent years, experts have praised the benefits of power training in the fitness world. This important part is almost always ignored, but it decreases much quicker than strength does. Claudio Gil Araújo, MD, PhD, FESC, highlights the role of power in lowering fall risk. He argues that it’s crucial for normal activities, such as quickly running up a flight of stairs or being able to catch yourself if you trip.
Power usually peaks in an individual’s late 20s to early 30s but drops off sharply without focused training. The message is clear among experts—adding power training to the regular routine is the most efficient way to develop mobility and fitness. By adopting simple exercises and techniques, individuals in their 30s, 40s, and 50s can counteract this decline and improve their quality of life.
Understanding Power Training
Power training is all about the speed of movement and explosiveness. In the concentric phase, you perform explosive, high-velocity movements. This phase is usually referred to as “as quick as we can.” Dr. Araújo points out that this part of training becomes especially important for keeping agility and coordination in check as we age.
“Consider something as simple as crossing at traffic lights: you need to be quick enough to cross the street within the allotted time, which can be a challenge without power,” explains Arto Hautala. This is an example of how power training can have a real-world effect on everyday life and safety.
Fitness guru Joe Lightfoot of APT’s National Fitness Court shares these eight moves to develop your power. These forces range from one-arm throws, two-arm throws, overhead slams, and sprint lunges. These multi-directional moves are great for building balance, stability, and coordination. “If you said to a rugby coach: ‘Would you want a really strong player or a really powerful one?’, they’re going to pick power every time,” Lightfoot emphasizes.
Simple Ways to Incorporate Power Training
Incorporating strength training into your routine can be simple, enjoyable, and beneficial. Lightfoot points to running upstairs as one of the most accessible ways to practice power, noting that it helps with coordination and balance. “Running upstairs is one of the simplest ways to incorporate power training into your daily routine,” he notes.
Beyond a concept like a rudiment hop series, there are even more specific ways to develop the trait of power. Lightfoot goes on to explain these movements as low-amplitude, multi-directional jumps. They’re safer than high-speed, high-intensity, limited range alternatives and just as effective when it comes to strength-building prowess. “They are very simple – just low-amplitude jumps done forward, backward, sideways or in place,” he adds.
Fitness professional Callum Roberts highlights the need for controlled explosiveness as a quality of power movements to avoid injury. “These exercises are all about controlled explosiveness, and moving with intent – good for when you need that extra push, such as picking up a wriggling toddler or hoisting a box into the loft,” he states. This is important because it demonstrates that power training can be used to improve functional strength needed for daily activities as well.
The Importance of Maintaining Power
Research indicates that power—as in the ability to produce force quickly—most accurately predicts mortality, not relative strength. In a new study tracking almost 4,000 men and women between the ages of 46 and 75, it discovered that exercising control over one’s life is the key to long life and good health. Dr. Araújo says that focusing on power by incorporating specialized training routines is important as people head into their middle age years.
For power training sessions, Lightfoot suggests using weights that are 50-70% of your one-rep max. As a result, it’s an approach that enables people realize greater benefits while minimizing the potential for harm. “After a brief pause at the bottom of each, drive up as fast as you can, and repeat each move three times, for three to five sets,” he instructs. Rest periods are important too. Miller prescribes two minutes between sets to make sure muscle tissue has enough time to recover.
Roberts says that these exercises teach you to react quickly and keep your body loose and springy. “These movements help your body react quickly and stay relaxed and springy,” he notes. This capacity for adaptability is crucial not just for athletic performance but for everyday functionality as well.