Strength Training and Aging

Everyone describes Joe as 'the nicest man.' He exercises at my club nearly every day, happily chit-chatting with fellow members as he pumps iron almost effortlessly. A talented and busy photographer, Joe is the picture of health. Joe is also 79 years old.

The results have been astounding. Recent research has uncovered a simple truth that shatters our beliefs about growing old: Much of aging can be prevented, or even reversed, through strength training. In fact, when put on a regular strength program, even 85-year-old men and women can expect results comparable to those of their 25-year-old grandchildren.

It all became public news with a landmark study in 1994, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. One hundred frail nursing home residents, ages 72-98 were put on a 10-week strength program. As a result, muscular strength improved by 113 percent, walking speed increased 12 percent, and stair climbing power increased 28 percent. Several residents were even able to leave their canes behind. Around the same time, another study found that one year of strength training improved spinal bone density by six percent. This is a significant finding considering that bone density decreased by four percent in the control group.

Strength training and aging soon became a hot topic among exercise scientists, leading to a host of studies that, to date, boast the following incredible conclusions:

1. Strength training can help prevent weight gain. In fact, it would be hard to keep weight off without it. Starting in midlife, we gain about 10 pounds each year. Much of this weight gain is due to a progressive loss of muscle and decrease in metabolism. Dieting can cause additional muscle loss, making the problem even worse! Strength training will boost metabolism and prevent the age-related decline in muscle, so that you can eat well, burn more calories (even at rest), and take off weight -- permanently.
   
   
2. Strength training builds bone density in men and women. Along with dietary measures, it is the best thing you can do to prevent, or perhaps reverse, osteoporosis.
   
   
3. Strength training improves balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls.
   
   
4. Strength training can lower blood pressure.
   
   
5. Strength training improves glucose metabolism by increasing insulin activity.
   
   
6. Strength training can preserve physical function in those with chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension and heart disease, and promote independent living.
   
   
7. Strength training strengthens the joints and is essential for retaining flexibility, especially in arthritic joints.
   
   
8. Strength training boosts self-confidence, alleviates stress and counteracts depression.
   
   
9. Strength training improves the quality of sleep.
   
   
10. Strength training can increase bowel transit time, which may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Older adults can improve their health, reduce risk of disease and literally transform their lives through a program of strength training. The implications of these findings are strikingly significant; given that by the year 2010 people aged 55-74 will outnumber 25-34-year-olds by 18 million. Furthermore, according to a report by the National Institute on Aging, delaying nursing home stays by only one month would result in a savings of four billion dollars annually.

You don't have to become a "gym rat" to benefit. Twice weekly sessions that work all the major muscle groups in the body are sufficient to notably improve health. It's important to get your doctor's approval before you get started; there may be medical considerations that affect choice of exercises and intensity of training.

Here's an excellent exercise to get you started at home: the "Squat." This exercise will work the muscles in your legs and buttocks. Begin by standing with a chair or bench behind you. Squat down to sit in the chair, keeping back straight, looking straight ahead. As soon as you sit, immediately straighten up to standing position. Perform a set of about 15 repetitions. When you have perfected this exercise, you can try it without a chair, being certain to keep back straight, weight in the heels, knees over ankles. You may want to join a gym or see a personal trainer to learn appropriate exercises and their proper execution.

It's never too late to start, never! With a strength-training program you can turn back the hands of time, at least a little bit. And like Joe, you may be able to enjoy a productive life through advancing years, in excellent health.