Next to the bench press machine at the health club is a photo of a man lifting a huge pile of iron. The caption reads: “Age: 80 years. What’s your excuse?”
Exercise is the closest we may come to the fountain of youth–that’s now well known. Study after study has demonstrated that fit people tend to live longer, healthier lives. Although activities such as walking, running and biking get most of the attention, strength training is now considered an important part of the equation, particularly for older individuals. The reason, of course, is not to bulk up muscles or even to lift as much weight as the 80-year-old at the health club but rather to counter the progressive muscle wasting and loss of strength that plagues many persons with advancing age.
For most individuals, muscle mass declines at a rate of nearly 15 percent per decade after age 60, sometimes resulting in what doctors call sarcopenia, or loss of lean body mass and strength. According to data from the New Mexico Aging Process Study [1997] and the New Mexico Elder Health survey [1998], 17.5 percent of both men and women showed significant signs of sarcopenia by age 75.
This loss of strength may mean a slower walking speed, difficulty getting in and out of chairs and a reduced ability to handle every day chores such as carrying grocery bags, moving furniture or shoveling snow.
The best way now known to counter this loss of muscle mass and strength is through strength training, and studies have demonstrated that it is both safe and effective, even for persons age 90 and over.
In two 1990 studies, older adults registered an average strength increase of 174 percent and a 10 percent increase in muscle area after just 8 to 12 weeks of progressive resistance training.
One of these studies involved men and women 87 to 96 years of age living in a nursing home, and these subjects increased their heel-to-toe walking speed by nearly 50 percent. In a later study, subjects of similar age had a 113 percent increase in muscular strength, a 12 percent increase in gait velocity and a 28 percent improvement in stair-climbing power.
Although aerobic exercise is ordinarily considered the gold standard for maintaining cardiovascular fitness, recent studies have found that strength training is just as effective in lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar and improving cholesterol. By increasing range of motion and strengthening the muscles surrounding joints, strength training can also help alleviate many of the symptoms of arthritis.
The ideal, of course, is to start your strength training early and continue it throughout your life–as the 80-year-old man from the health club has obviously done. Those who are taking up any physical activity after a long period of inactivity should consult a doctor or physical therapist about what is safe.
The weight machines at health clubs and Ys make it easier to lift safely, but even so, it’s necessary to have a careful orientation by a trained professional.
A health club membership or expensive equipment is not really necessary, however. A good weight training program can be done at home with inexpensive hand weights, and some of the best tried-and-true exercises–push ups, sit-up crunches and leg lifts–rely on the resistance of your own body.
A good strength-training program should include eight to ten exercises that work major muscles in the chest, back, arms, legs and abdomen. They should be performed two to three times a week with at least a day of rest between sessions.
The basic theory is to challenge or overload the muscle by doing 8 to 12 repetitions. The weight should be light enough to be lifted at least eight times but heavy enough that the last three repetitions are difficult to do without sacrificing good form. The fatigued muscles then require a period of rest–at least a day–to consolidate their gains.
Other than not getting sufficient rest, major risks are holding your breath during a lift–which can cause your blood pressure to soar–and using heavy weights too soon. Good form generally involves correct body posture and a slow, fluid movement without jerks or lunges.
Most wellness facilities and health clubs have professionals who can recommend programs and monitor form. A good strength-training program is based on common sense, however; it’s simply a matter of using your muscles so you don’t lose them.
