Senior Strength
Think of weightlifting and you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, not Grandma. But mounting evidence seems to show that older people—even those in their 90s—can get important benefits from strength training, according to the Harvard Health Letter.
Most people's muscle strength peaks around age 30 or 40, and then declines to about 60 to 70 percent of peak by age 80. The result is increasing risk of health problems, such as the dangerous falls that cause half of all injuries in seniors and rob them of their independence.
Muscle atrophy, though, isn't caused by age itself, but by the inactivity that usually accompanies advancing age. Research shows that with proper training, a decline in muscle strength can be reversed by people at almost any age, so they can remain self-reliant much longer than otherwise possible. For instance, Tufts University researchers found that in a group of frail seniors aged 86 to 96, the power of their knee extensors was increased by 174 percent in a program of high-intensity workouts over a two-month period. And their heel-to-toe walking speed, important as an indicator of the balance needed to prevent falls, increased 48 percent.
Specific muscle strength isn't the only benefit of strength training for seniors, researchers say. The risk of certain metabolic disorders related to body composition, such as Type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes, increases over the years as fat replaces muscle. Altering the body composition through strength training has the potential to hold off or prevent these disorders. It also increases bone density, and therefore can help prevent osteoporosis.
Arthritis, while it cannot be reversed, can be slowed by strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around a joint, thus reducing friction and stress. In addition, strength training, like aerobics, is often touted as an anti-depressant.
It's becoming easier for seniors to begin working with weights. Many fitness centers and YMCAs and YWCAs now have weightlifting programs for seniors, providing appropriate equipment, guidance, and companionship.
With seniors more than anyone, a strength training regimen should have the blessing of a qualified physician.
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