Strength Training for Healthier Aging
by Lorie A. Schleck, MA, PT
In the absence of major health problems, regular strength training leads to
noticeably stronger muscles in only six to eight weeks, no matter what your age.
One study of strength training in older men found that participants doubled the
strength of their quadriceps after just three months. The quadriceps muscle,
which runs along the front of the thigh, is critical for going up and down
stairs and rising from a chair or toilet. To maintain (or regain) a basic level
of independence, it is crucial to keep this muscle strong.
Strength training, especially when combined with aerobic exercise, is a
surefire way to control body weight. Why? Because muscle burns calories and fat.
The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. But left to its own devices,
the body loses about a half pound of muscle every year after age 30. If we don't
keep ourselves strong, we gain weight with each passing year.
A recent study of older Americans found that seven out of ten women over age
70 are unable to lift 10 pounds. Yes, that's right. Seven out of ten older women
cannot lift even 10 pounds! And this is not just a "female" problem.
Seven out of twenty men over age 70 are just as frail. Think of the normal,
everyday activities that become difficult if not impossible when you can't lift
10 pounds of weight: grocery shopping, vacuuming, working in the yard, doing the
laundry, carrying a suitcase or heavy purse, holding a child, opening
containers, getting in and out of a bathtub or deep chair, opening a window,
moving pots and pans, setting the table, watering plants, walking a dog,
shoveling snow, changing bedding. The list could go on and on. What happens when
you can't do these activities by yourself? You depend on others to do them for
you. And, in some cases, you lose the pleasures and benefits of these activities
altogether.
All of us want to remain as active and independent as possible for as long as
we can. All of us want to maintain a high quality of life as we age. The
question is, can we do it, and if so, how?
Dorothy is a 75 year-old retired school teacher who maintains an active
social life. She is very involved at her church and loves to travel, having
taken two longs trips to Africa in the last few years. Except for a recent hip
replacement, Dorothy has no major or chronic health concerns. She regularly
visits nursing homes, cheering the occupants with her positive outlook and
exuberant energy. Aerobic exercise and strength training are a routine part of
Dorothy's week.
Why do some people, like Dorothy, maintain good health and an active
lifestyle well into retirement, while many others experience ill health and loss
of independence?
In the last decade we have learned that healthy aging is not simply a matter
of fate or good genetics. Abundant scientific evidence has shown that
maintaining muscular strength plays an important role in successful aging.
Because Dorothy chooses to make strength training a part of her regular routine,
she enjoys a healthy, vibrant lifestyle that has taken her halfway around the
world.
WHAT IS STRENGTH TRAINING?
Mention strength training and a vision of youthful bodies lifting big
barbells comes to mind. Few people associate strength training with older
adults. But with some minor modifications, biceps curls and leg extensions are
every bit as appropriate for those of us in our sixth, seventh, or even eighth
and ninth decade of life. And the health benefits are tremendous. The concept is
simple: Strength training is any activity that moves a body part against
resistance. Resistance may be isometric (when you tighten a muscle and hold it
for several seconds), or it might involve a small weight, a household object, or
an exercise band (a 3- or 4-foot elastic band designed for exercise).
Strength training does not require a gym or membership in a health club. It
need not involve expensive or heavy equipment. If we know a few simple
principles and learn some basic exercises, we can do strength training at home,
at the park, or with a group of friends.
WHY STRENGTH TRAIN?
Few older adults exercise to look good in a swimsuit. For most of us,
strength training is critical to maintaining our health and our independence.
The benefits of strength training are considerable -- and these benefits become
evident in a very short time.
When we reach middle age, we begin to lose muscle mass. Our muscles literally
begin to shrink and weaken. This is a natural process that medical professionals
call sarcopenia. Once we hit age 70, our muscle loss accelerates. We may find it
difficult to go up and down the stairs. A grocery bag or laundry basket may
become too heavy. We might feel wobbly when walking across the room.
Weakness, difficulty with everyday activities, frail arms and legs -- these
are not the inevitable results of age. When it comes to aging muscles, an old
saying applies: "Use it or lose it."
Hilmer is a 65 year-old retired high school principal and basketball coach.
Although he walks for thirty minutes, three or four times each week, he has
recently noticed little changes in his physical abilities. Climbing the stairs
requires greater effort. An hour of gardening leaves him sore and stiff the next
day. It has become difficult to lift a golf bag. At his next physical, Hilmer
discusses his concerns with his physician. The doctor commends Hilmer for
walking regularly, but he recommends a simple exercise program to strengthen
some important muscles.
Hilmer follows his doctor's recommendation. After six weeks he notices that
simple daily tasks, like lifting a pan from the oven and pushing the mower
across the lawn, are getting easier. Now, as he continues his strengthening
exercises twice a week, Hilmer is lifting his golf bag as easily as he did
fifteen years ago.
Strength training is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent
osteoporosis and subsequent fractures. Osteoporosis, or loss of bone density, is
a major health concern for older adults, particularly women. When bones lose
density, they become weaker, making them more susceptible to fractures. Broken
bones are not only painful, they can be life threatening as well.
Over the last decade, research has shown that regular strength training can
help us strengthen our bones and avoid this potentially debilitating disease.
And for those of us who already have osteoporosis, strength training can help us
maintain or rebuild bone mass in our spine, hips, and wrists -- the areas most
susceptible to fracture.
As we age, we may begin to feel wobbly or off-balance, a condition that could
lead to falls and serious injury. For some of us, walking, showering, even
bending over to pick up a book may cause us to lose our balance.
Balance is a complex process involving muscles, nerves, and the vestibular
system (an important part of the inner ear). Balance problems are often a sign
of muscle weakness -- as we exercise and rebuild our muscle strength, our
balance generally improves. Better balance reduces our chances of falling and
makes simple daily tasks, like walking and showering, safer.
Falls are one of the most serious and common medical problems suffered by
older adults. Every year, about one-third of people over 65 experience a fall.
Falls cause bruises, fractures, and other injuries. And, once we have suffered a
fall, we often develop a fear of falling that prevents us from participating in
our normal activities.
Strong muscles decrease our chances of falling. If a fall does occur, strong
muscles help protect our bones, making us less likely to experience a fracture
or other serious injury.
Most of us strength train because we want to improve our "functional
strength." Functional strength is the amount of strength we need to
accomplish our daily tasks. For example, if the washing machine is in the
basement, we need to be strong enough to carry a load of laundry up and down the
stairs. When grocery shopping, we must be strong enough to carry the groceries
into the house from the car.
One study found that people between 75 and 80 years of age who led sedentary
lives used more than half their muscular strength just to take a shower. This is
not an inevitable sign of age -- this is a sign of muscle weakness. Regular
strength training will prevent or reverse this muscle loss, giving us the
strength we need in our daily lives.
Crossing the street before the light changes, climbing the stairs to our
third-floor apartment, walking to the mailbox without running out of breath --
when modest goals like these become difficult, they jeopardize our independence.
Through strength training, we can improve our walking speed as well as our
ability to climb stairs. In fact, strength training allows many of us to
continue living in our homes long after our peers have moved to assisted living
facilities.
For many of us, the saying: "My get-up-and-go, got up and went" is
a little too familiar. Feeling tired and weak, we might limit ourselves to
sedentary activities, like watching television or reading on the couch. But when
we begin strength training, we are surprised to find that we feel like doing
more. We rediscover our "get-up-and-go."
In one study, a group of nursing home residents began regular
strength-training sessions. They quickly started feeling stronger and doing
more. In fact, their spontaneous physical activity increased by almost 30
percent. They began to prefer walking over sitting, and moving over being still.
If your goal is to lose weight or maintain your figure, strength training can
help in two ways. First, your body burns calories and fat while you exercise.
Second, when your muscles are strong and well-toned, your metabolism increases,
causing your body to burn even more calories and fat all day long.
You can think of metabolism as how your body burns fuel (fat and calories)
during the day. You burn fuel whenever you move, but also when you're at rest.
(Imagine an idling car engine -- even when it isn't moving, it needs fuel to
keep running.) As your muscles become stronger, your body must burn more fuel.
Even if your strength-training sessions last only thirty minutes every other
day, your metabolism can be elevated throughout the whole day, every day. You
can even burn more calories in your sleep!
But remember, muscle weighs more than fat. This means that you may lose
inches, but not necessarily pounds. As the fat melts away, it is replaced with
strong, toned muscles, so the news from the bathroom scale may not seem
encouraging. Do not despair. You will likely lose inches in critical places,
like the waist and hips. You will look thinner and feel better, even if you
don't lose much weight. Trust how you feel and look -- don't measure your
success with the bathroom scale.
When George received a notice for his forty year class reunion, he decided
that the tire around his waist and those few -- well, more than a few -- extra
pounds had to go. George checked with his doctor and started a strength-training
program. But as he stepped on the scale each week, the pounds weren't dropping
off as he had expected. Just when he started to get frustrated, he began to hear
compliments from his friends and family: "George, you're looking good.
" "Are you losing weight, George?"
George went to his class reunion feeling good about his appearance. He had
dropped several inches around the waist, even though he had shed only a few
pounds.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This sounds too good to be true. Why haven't I heard it before?
Gerontology, or the study of aging, is a relatively new science. For a time,
gerontology focused on disease and declining health -- conditions associated
with aging. But in the last decade or so, science has begun to focus on aging
healthily. Since then, research has shown that lifestyle choices play a critical
role in determining our health, no matter what our age.
Strength training is one of the most important choices we can make. In fact,
so much evidence has accumulated to support the link between good strength and
good health that the American College of Sports Medicine recently revised its
exercise recommendations for the first time in over a decade. They now recommend
that every adult participate in a regular strength-training program.
- Is strength training safe?
Strength training is safe for almost everyone. But, as with any exercise
program, it's important to check with your doctor before you begin. If you take
certain medications or suffer from a specific medical condition, strength
training may cause undesirable -- or even dangerous -- symptoms.
If you perform your exercises correctly, the risk of injury is minimal. The
most common reason for injury, regardless of a person's age, is trying to
progress too quickly.
- Is strength training all I need to do?
Strength training is just one part of a healthy lifestyle. You're probably
familiar with the other parts: good nutrition, aerobic exercise (such as
walking), and stretching exercises. Among people aged 65 to 74, two-thirds of
women and three-fourths of men participate in some type of regular physical
activity. But only 7 percent of men and 3 percent of women participate in a
regular strength-training program. It's time to get the word out: As older
adults, we need strength training to maintain (or regain) our health.
 This
article is excerpted from Staying Strong, ?2000, edited by Lorie A.
Schleck, MA, PT. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Fairview Press. http://www.FairviewPress.org
Info/Order
this book.
About the Author
Lorie A. Schleck is a physical therapist at Fairview Rehabilitation Services.
She received her BS degree in physical therapy from the University of Minnesota
and her MA degree in counseling psychology from St. Mary's University of
Minnesota. She has published numerous articles on physical therapy and
fitness, is the editor of the book Staying
Strong and is the coauthor of Shapewalking:
Six Steps to a Healthier Life.
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