Stay Young – Stay Strong

Strength Training – Keep your muscles working for you

            How would you like to turn back the clock a decade or more and recapture the energy and strength of younger days?  If this sounds good to you, then get ready and put your muscles to work.  Strength training can provide benefits to virtually anyone no matter what kind of shape you are in or how old you are.  Performing simple exercises beginning at 15 minutes a day twice a week then gradually working up to 20-30 minutes a day two to three times a week is all it takes.   Because, unfortunately, with age not only comes wisdom, but also a loss of vital bone density and muscle strength.  The bones and muscles are responsible for keeping us upright, sturdy, and mobile.  Any deterioration will not only make everyday activities such as walking, getting in and out of chair, or navigating stairs more difficult, but also more risky.

Facts About Muscles

But good news - aging does not appear to reduce the ability to increase muscle through strength training.  Strength gains in older adults are similar to or greater than those in younger individuals.    In fact, regular strength training for twenty to thirty minutes 2-3 times a week will not only build muscle mass but also help maintain and increase bone density. When bone is stressed through muscle movement, it also becomes stronger.

We’re losing muscle mass at the rate of  one percent per year after the age of 30, but regular strength training can halt and even reverse this process at any age. A study of nursing home residents between the ages seventy-two and ninety-eight, found that ten weeks of progressive strength training for the thigh and lower leg muscles increased muscle strength an average of one-hundred thirteen percent. Stair climbing and walking speed also improved. Several even traded in their walkers for canes.

A study of post-menopausal women who lifted weights twice a week for one year found these women increased muscle mass an average of nine percent and bone density by one percent.

Building muscle will also rev up your body’s metabolism to help control your weight. Pound for pound, muscle burns three times more calories than fat does, just to sustain itself. Even at rest your muscles are burning calories. So the more muscle mass you have, the more efficiently and quickly you burn calories – even while sleeping. This makes it easier to maintain a healthful weight.

How to do it:

You don’t need fancy equipment to do strength training. You can use your own body weight for resistance.  For example:  push-ups against the wall, toe raises, and standing squats. For hand weights, use objects in your cupboards, such as cans of soup, or purchase dumbbell weights or elastic resistance bands.

To set up a strength-raining program suited to your needs, it’s best to learn from a qualified personal trainer or physical therapist. (Look for someone certified by the American College of Sports Medicine or National Strength and Conditioning Association.) It’s best to get off on the right foot because exercises performed incorrectly can create an injury.
Check out your local Recreation Centers, health clubs or other exercise facilities such as CSU adult fitness or Poudre Valley Health System’s Cardiac Rehab program for classes or individual training.
Strength training performed regularly can offset age related declines in both bone and muscle.  But take note, the beneficial effects of exercise will be retained only as long as strength training is continued.  During periods of inactivity, bone density and muscle strength will return to pre-exercise levels very quickly! 

As always, before beginning any new exercise program, you should consult a physician.  This is especially important if you have had an injury, chronic illness or any other health concern.