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SURE YOU’RE OLDER..SO WHAT?
Fighting the Good Fight
When the average person hears someone speak of strength
training or weight lifting, they envision huge muscular
athletes grunting and tossing weights around like they
see on TV.
Occasionally we see on the evening
news a story about some “senior” that has
or is doing some feat of endurance or athletic skill
that causes everyone to marvel, especially those near
his or her age. And of course, those from my generation,
all identify to some degree with the 93 year old marvel
Jack LaLane. Heck most of us did our jumping jacks at
home along with him some 50 plus years ago.
But, strength training is NOT just for the
Jack “I can do a hundred push-ups” LaLanes
of the world. I am pretty sure there is only ONE of him.
You don't have to be a fitness guru or a
senior Olympic athlete to benefit from strength training
, such training is a plus to all. And never say you're
too old to work those muscles and see results, I have members
in their 70’s still making gains. |
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Strength training is just what older bodies need to fight the
loss of muscle mass and strength, even very old or frail ones.
The evidence clearly supports that strength training is the most
important exercise for older adults who aren't fit, and that
it should come before aerobic activity, not afterward, as is
typically the case.
The benefits of training with resistance
for our senior population goes way beyond muscle size, and
it gets to the very heart of the training process. Training is to benefit the individual
on a personal basis, and as we enter our “golden” years,
that benefit isn’t so much a bulging bicep as it is INDEPENDENCE.
A long life is only good if the person can enjoy it to the fullest.
Training should be “To add life to your years, not just
years to your life”.
Independence is a key issue when you speak
with senior trainees about why they have taken up the exercise
process, and for many this is the first time in six plus decades
they have ever done so. But, to the aging, simple things become
difficult, due to the loss of muscle through the years. It
could be as simple as picking up a twenty pound bag of dog
food at the market without asking for help, or even just caring
the laundry up from the basement. No one wants to feel they
can’t take care of
the daily things in life without assistance. This alone I have
seen is a large driving factor among senior clients. Bulging
muscles don’t interest them as much as being able to keep
life as “alive” as possible. Being alive is NOT the
same as LIVING!
For all older adults - not just the frail elderly
- a regular program of strengthening, combined with aerobic exercises,
can help reduce or prevent many functional declines associated
with aging.
Multiple benefits
In the same way that taking a once-a-day vitamin is beneficial,
lifting weights and other kinds of strength training provide
multiple benefits, according to the findings of many studies
over the past several years. Here are some of the top reasons
to get started on a resistance strength-training program:
To build muscle strength. Adults lose between five and seven
pounds of muscle every decade after age 20 through the process
of disuse atrophy. Only strength training prevents and even reverses
muscle loss.
To improve functional strength and flexibility. This is important
because it can help keep you safe in your daily activities and
make you less vulnerable to falls or other injuries. A stronger
and more flexible individual also has improved balance.
To increase bone mass and density. Weight-bearing and resistance
exercises can help protect against and delay the severity of
osteoporosis, a condition all too common in the elderly, in which
bones become very fragile.
To lower body fat. Increases in muscle tissue, even small
increases, help raise the body’s metabolic rate, and burn calories.
Combined with a more structured diet, this can help promote the
loss of excess body fat, that the “years” have
added, not to mention all that cake.
To reduce resting blood pressure. Strength training reduces
resting blood pressure when used in conjunction with a good diet
plan and properly applied intensity.
To reduce low back pain. Research has shown that strength training
can increase low back strength and help alleviate or lessen low
back pain.
To reduce symptoms of other chronic diseases. Strength training
can help to reduce the symptoms of depression, heart disease,
type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and sleep disorders.
To enhance your personal appearance. Improving your strength
and your physique can also be a plus for your self-confidence
and self-esteem. Even though listed last, a BIG point.
Two or three days a week of strength training is recommended.
As with any fitness program, be sure to talk to your doctor before
getting started.
Also, whether you join a strength training program at a health
club, YMCA, community center, nursing home or retirement community,
make sure it is carefully supervised. And stay with it! And train
smart!
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