Senior Strength

You know the old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” well that may be false after all. Recently, and its maybe because I have been getting older, many seniors have approached me asking questions about how to heal this, how to heal that, how to lose fat in this area, and is it possible for me to gain strength? The answer is “yes.” Doing a little research I found some interesting facts and statistics and some very recent.

10 sedentary 70-year-old men in a 12-week strength-training program 3X week had increased their muscle size and strength by 50 percent. Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences
62 healthy men and women between the ages of 60 and 83 revealed that six months of resistance training increased bone density in the hip area. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Tufts researchers went back and tried strength training in another study, this time using high-intensity workouts in which participants lifted leg weights at levels closer to their maximum capacity. Men (60 to 72), not only completed the regimen safely, but more than doubled their leg strength in just 12 weeks of training.
Another study on strength training’s led by Tufts researcher Maria Fiatarone, MD, showed that even frail nursing-home residents in their 90s could build muscle and strength. Two volunteers were even able to walk without needing their canes after the 8-week program.
Tufts University Research Center, 9 women and men (87-101), strengthened their arms and legs by exercising with resistance weights. In eight weeks, they increased the strength in the front thigh muscles by an average of almost 175 percent. Dr. Abraham Datch, a 101-year-old retired dentist, increased his strength by 200 percent over what it was at 95.
A 1995 Tufts study questioned whether muscle loss in later years could be due, in part, to a chronic protein deficit among older people. Older women eating protein at half the recommended level, lost lean tissue after just 8 weeks and showed declines not just in muscle function but in immune response as well.

One of the big misconceptions for seniors and weight training is the belief that doing aerobic activity is enough. For the heart and lungs, a walk a few times a week is good, but does nothing for bones or muscles, or in medical terms osteoporosis or sarcopenia. As the body ages the density of bones and muscles begin to decrease, but there is hope. Every year there are numerous new studies showing that resistance training is becoming key in not only just preserving bone and muscle, but still being able to gain. The only difference between a 60 year old and a 20 year old is how much and how fast. The rate at which a senior gains muscle is about 3 times slower. This is mainly due to the length of recovery time. Another concern is joint damage. I, like many have found relief in glucosamine and chondroitin, two molecules that make up the type of cartilage found within joints. Cartilage undergoes a constant process of breakdown and repair for proper repair, the building blocks of cartilage must be present and available. Using glucosamine and chondroitin allows more of the cartilage building blocks to be available for cartilage repair. Lastly, most of the articles state that the biggest obstacle is convincing someone over 60 that weight lifting is just as necessary as cardio or their diet, since many of them grew up with the mindset that weightlifting was only for the young and athletes. So, the saying, “You’re Never to old,” holds true.

5 keys to senior strength

Weights or resistance training 2-3 times a week.
Increased protein intake. Diet has to be managed much more strictly.
Rest-7-8 hours of sleep and at least 48 hours in between workouts.
Stretching before and after every workout.
Add in supplements Calcium, D, Glucosamine, Chondroitin

…For more information and tips, check my website, www.chadamartin.com and thanks to Advocare for providing supplements.