Is your daily movement translating to functional endurance? To help you live better and longer, our healthspan initiative offers research-backed insights for healthier living into how you eat, sleep, move and connect with others.
This educational piece will focus mainly on the importance of strength training and the benefits of resistance training, particularly for older adults. After all, everyone who is able should strength train because it helps preserve and enhance muscle mass at any age.
What is resistance training, and how does it differ from weight lifting and strength training? Women’s Health sums it up quite succinctly, stating that “Resistance training is the umbrella term, strength training is a goal that you can reach with resistance training, and you can use weight training as your method to reach said goal.”
In terms of health benefits, primary advantages include maintaining muscle mass and slowing age-related loss of bone strength. According to the Mayo Clinic, additional benefits include:
Helping to develop strong bones
Managing weight
Enhancing overall quality of life
Managing chronic conditions
Sharpening thinking skills
Age-related loss of bone density (osteopenia) and muscle mass (sarcopenia) are incredibly common and become more prevalent with age. The result is limited mobility, which significantly increases the risk of falls and fractures, particularly for aging populations.
But the right training regimen can help mitigate this hazard. UCLA Health names this as one of the primary benefits of resistance training for older adults, attributing strength training to:
Improved bone mineral density
Increased muscle strength and function
Lower mortality risk
Harvard Health summarizes the numerous advantages of resistance work as we age: “Strength training, in particular, has bone benefits beyond those offered by aerobic weight-bearing exercise. It targets bones of the hips, spine and wrists, which are the sites most likely to fracture. What's more, resistance workouts — particularly those that include moves emphasizing power and balance — enhance strength and stability. That can boost confidence, encourage you to stay active and reduce fractures another way: by cutting down on falls.”
The peer-reviewed article highlights the ever-present dangers of osteoporosis, maintaining that it “should be a concern for all of us.” Affecting an estimated 10 million Americans, the degenerative bone disease is “responsible for more than two million fractures each year.”
For those interested in pursuing strength training, fitness testing can offer a baseline for where to begin in your exercise journey. Furthermore, continued regular assessments and progress tracking via wearable tech and other measurement methods can help motivate you to improve.
For example, at Judson Park, a HumanGood Life Plan Community in Washington, a group of 10 residents completed the initial baseline HumanGood Functional Fitness Assessment (FFA), followed by participation in a 45-minute functional fitness group class three times a week. Once they completed the 12-week program, participants retook the FFA. Results showed that functional fitness scores improved across all measures: strength, balance, endurance and flexibility. For one movement test — the single leg stand — average improvement was a whopping 177%.
Don’t worry: We’re not suggesting you start pumping iron seven days a week. Sufficient resistance training can be achieved even with no equipment — all it takes is a solid plan of action. Here are some tips for getting started:
No matter how much or how often you train, no one is immune to injuries. Perform all exercises with intentional, controlled movement. Research the appropriate ways to engage your muscles, prioritizing safety and maintaining proper form as opposed to reps.
Mayo Clinic advises: “It's important to use proper technique in strength training to avoid injuries. If you're new to strength training, work with a trainer or other fitness specialist to learn correct form and technique. Remember to breathe as you strength train.”
Be sure not to overexert yourself. Muscles need sufficient time to recover, so space out your sessions, and don’t work yourself to exhaustion every time. Promote muscle protein synthesis (the process that repairs and builds muscle tissue) by supplementing with amino acids and protein after workouts.
Don’t stick to the exact same exercises for every session. Resistance training is a vast category of numerous activities, so mix and match your movements to include multiple muscle groups. Some options include:
Body weight (e.g., squats, calf raises, planks and pushups)
Resistance tubing/bands
Free weights
Weight machines
Cable suspension training
Ideally, your regimen should employ a combination of strength training with aerobic exercise and balance practice for maximum muscle engagement. And don’t forget to stretch and hydrate before and after each session to promote better mobility!
In summary, there are two primary ways to preserve and build muscle mass as you age: targeted resistance training and evenly distributed protein intake. Experts suggest older adults aim to consume at least 0.45 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily (or approximately 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day).
Remember: You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to practice strength training. In fact, clinical exercise physiologist Jack Heseltine offers a detailed list of effective strength exercises you can do at home in just 10 minutes.
Expect more healthspan tips in the months to come!