The Importance of Resistance Training for over 50's

The inevitability of ageing is something all of us have to come to terms with. Whilst some may accept their fate and succumb to the fact that they will never have their physical fitness of 10, 20, 30 years ago, others are looking to optimise what they have and slow their physical decline. It is the mind frame of the latter that sees people living out their later years with great vigour and independence.

Losing independence due to loss of physical function is cause for great concern for many towards the second half of life. This kind of issue is something that should be approached proactively rather than reactively, whilst it is never too late to get back into exercising, setting good physical activity habits at an earlier age will see you reap the rewards and enjoy the retirement years.

It is the loss in muscle mass that occurs when we age, particularly over 50, that causes the decline in function seen in many seniors. The proverbial statement of ‘use it or lose it’ couldn’t be more fitting when it comes to the musculoskeletal system and ageing. For many over the age of 50 walking is their main form of exercise, whilst this is an excellent form of exercise to maintain the cardiovascular and respiratory system it does not challenge the musculoskeletal system in a manner that will maintain muscle mass. Doing some form of resistance training 2-3 times per week will help to improve muscular strength and maintain physical function1,2. The strength gained and maintained with resistance exercise may help preserve independence in activities of daily living such as self-care, house work, gardening, shopping and participation in hobbies. Not only will strength training help to maintain the ability to perform these activities but importantly it may also help to reduce pain levels associated with performing these different activities. The ability to be able to physically continue on with daily life independently will have huge flow on effects to mental health, with loss of independence thought to be a contributing factor in depression in the elderly.

An interesting test to assess for current physical function capacity which is a predictor of all-cause mortality, is the ability to sit and rise from the floor. A study of 2002 adults aged 51-80 tested their ability to sit and rise from the floor using no external objects, where points were subtracted for body support (hand/knee) to complete the task. The subjects were followed up around 6 years later and it was found that lower test scores were associated with higher rates of death3.

This is a worthwhile test to perform on yourself to see whether your current physical activity is providing your body with the ability to perform a fundamental human task of getting up and down off the floor. If there is some difficulty performing the task it may be worthwhile to reassess your current forms of exercise and try to add some variety. If you are only doing aerobic exercise such as walking or cycling it may be beneficial to add 2-3 sessions of resistance exercise into your weekly routine to reap the benefits of some extra muscular strength. This doesn’t mean you have to take out a gym membership and start ‘throwing some iron’ around, there are many different kinds of resistance exercises to do within your own home. Buying some ankle weights and some light dumbbells to use while doing exercises such as squats, lunges, crab walking, marching on the spot, bicep curls, and shoulder press to name a few. Finding a decent sized set of stairs, walking up and down a number of times or taking an exercise class focused on strengthening the body. If you have a medical condition or are concerned about your ability perform this type of exercise, please consult your GP where you can be referred to an Exercise Physiologist for a safe exercise program.

Modern medicine is keeping us alive for much longer than previous generations, increased life expectancy does not necessarily mean you will have increased quality of life. Medical care can help to keep us alive however it is up to the individual to ensure our physical capacity allows us to optimise those extra years. It is never too late or too early to put the steps in place to ensure our body is performing to its fullest capacity for as long as possible.

Reference:

1.     Galloway M.T., Jokl P., Aging successfully: the importance of physical activity in maintaining health, J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2001;8:37-44

2.     Seguin R., Nelson M. E., The benefits of strength training for older adults, Am J Prev Med, 2003;25:141-149

3.     Barreto de Brito L. B., Ricardo D. R., et al, Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality, Eur J Prev Card, 2012;0(00):1-7