1 day Ago By Deborah Vankin
Copious research shows that strength training, particularly for older adults, is a critical piece of the health and longevity puzzle. Strength training builds muscle mass and strength, increases bone density and improves balance, which in turn helps prevent falls. It enhances joint mobility and reduces joint stiffness.
It plays a role in metabolic health, reducing blood pressure and improving glucose metabolism. It even aids cardiac health. “It’s probably the most important fitness modality out there for longevity,” says Dr.
Christina Chen, a Mayo Clinic geriatrician and host of the podcast “Aging Forward.” Doctors, researchers and physical trainers offer these crucial tips on how to gain muscle without getting injured. 1.
Start low, slow and supervised If you’re new to weight training, supervision is key, says Dr. Joshua T. Goldman, a UCLA sports medicine physician.
Work with a personal trainer or a friend who’s knowledgeable. They’ll keep an eye on your form and give you real-time feedback. And proceed with caution: Begin with low weights and just a few repetitions.
There’s benefit to lifting even two or three pound weights, in sets consisting of just six or eight repetitions. 2. Keep a journal What does “start low and slow” even mean? It’s different for everyone, says Casey Johnston, author of the weightlifting newsletter “She’s a Beast.
” Find the starting point that’s right for you and then progress based on how your body feels. “You can’t tell everybody to lift 20 pounds — for some that’s impossible and others, easy,” Johnston says. “The important thing, is: Where is that person at in their general health and training life — have they recently been sick? Did they eat breakfast? — all of these things can affect your experience of a workout.
So a huge part of it is learning what different stimuli feel like and monitoring how you respond.” Towards that end, Johnston suggests weight-training newcomers keep a journal. Record what you did at the gym and how you felt both during and after the workout, including your level of soreness the next day.
For each exercise, note how heavy the weight was, how many repetitions you did and how many sets. 3. Practice functional fitness The best way to strength train as you get older, says Chris Ryan, a New York-based certified strength and conditioning specialist who was featured on NBC’s “Strong,” is through compound movements that mimic everyday life.
“You have to think: What’s the goal? For most people, it’s living an independent life — you want to be able to do basic things, like reach up to grab a dish, play with your grandchildren,” he says. “So: practice squatting or sitting down to a bench or chair and standing back up again and squeezing your butt tight at the top. Do light step-ups a few inches high, mimicking climbing a set of stairs and that also helps with balance control and coordination.
Do pulling exercises, like farmer’s carries, which helps pull the shoulder blades back, the chest up and keeps the core engaged.” Your body will get smarter, your muscle memory sharp. 4.
Modify There are myriad ways to strengthen a particular muscle. Minor adjustments in form and using props can alter the level of difficulty of an exercise or diffuse pain. Don’t be afraid to make an exercise yours, so that it’s more suitable for your body.
“Most older people have some stuff,” says UCLA’s Goldman. “If you’re severely arthritic in both knees, weighted squats are probably not the best plan for you. I’d recommend knee extension and hamstring curl exercises for lower leg strengthening.
A stationary bike with high resistance is also a suitable alternative. Work around restrictions and injuries. Work within the stuff you’ve got.
” Trainer Ryan suggests aquatics training. “Everything about water is good for the human body,” he says. “It’s easy on our joints.
It’s also hard to move through, so there’s tension. So just moving back and forth, treading water, deep water running, arm movement patterns — it’s all resistance training.” 5.
Be mindful of your heart Strength training is even better for your heart than previously thought: a 2024 study, authored by Dr. Martha Gulati, director of Preventive Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, found that women who strength trained two to three times a week reduced their cardiovascular mortality rate by about 30% compared to those who don’t. Nevertheless, proceed carefully, Gulati says.
For older adults who are new to weight training — or for those returning to exercise after a long break — Gulati stresses talking to your doctor first and getting an exercise prescription as well as a cardiac screening, especially if you have a preexisting heart condition. 6. Focus on the big picture “Falls can be catastrophic as we age and building our muscle mass is really important,” she says.
“It’s not about becoming a bodybuilder, it’s about preserving your health. Just to be healthy and strong is a beautiful thing.”/Tribune News Service.
