Benefits of Senior Strength Training

Strength training is important for older adults.

Strength training is very important for older adults. It provides a number of physical and mental benefits and is safe and effective for women and men of all ages. Older individuals with health concerns, such as heart disease or arthritis, can also benefit greatly from a strength training routine. In addition, strength training--particularly in conjunction with regular aerobic exercise such as swimming or walking--has a positive impact on an individual's emotional health and sleep quality.

Better Balance and Stronger Bones

Strength training improves older adults' bone density and muscle mass.

Strength training in older adults improves flexibility and balance, which decreases the likelihood and severity of falls. A 1999 study conducted in New Zealand using female subjects aged 80 years of age and over found frequency of falls could be reduced with simple strength and balance training. A 1994 Tufts University study showed that strength training increased bone density and reduced fracture risk among a female subject group aged 50 to 70. Another year-long Tufts study from 1996 of postmenopausal women revealed gains in hip and spine bone density, as well as balance, from two days per week of progressive strength training. The control group, which performed no exercise, lost bone density and balance during the same period.

Improved Disease Symptoms

Regular strength training reduces the symptoms of a number of diseases and chronic physical conditions, including: diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain, depression and arthritis. A 2002 Tufts University study of older men and women with osteoarthritis saw a 16-week program of strength training decrease pain in subjects by 43 percent, as well as deliver increased muscular strength and physical performance. It also improved the signs and symptoms of the disease. Similar results have also been reported for subjects suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Diabetes Management and Self Esteem Advantages

A 2002 Tufts University study of Hispanic men and women saw 16 weeks of strength training deliver improvements in blood sugar levels comparable to the effects of medication. The subjects also enjoyed greater strength, muscle mass, lower body fat and better self-esteem. Everyone can get a boost to self-esteem from progressive strength training.

Cardiovascular Advantages

Strength training improves heart and lung efficiency, although not as profoundly as the effects of specific aerobic exercise, such as swimming or walking. The American Heart Association, however, recommends strength training as a preventative measure against heart disease, as well as a rehabilitation tool.

References

• Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults
• "JAMA"; Effects of high-intensity strength training on multiple risk factors for osteoporotic fractures. A randomized controlled trial; Nelson et al; 1994
• "Age and Aging"; Falls prevention over two years: a randomized controlled trial in women 80 years and older; Campbell et al; 1999
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• American Heart Association

Resources

• American Senior Fitness Association