Gains for the Golden Age !
Anyone seen Arnold Schwarzenegger on TV or in the news lately? You wouldn't believe the old fella is 69 years of age!!! Want to know his secret? It's something he's kept with himself his entire life, right from his early body building days, till his first break with Conan the Barbarian, and even still with the recent Expendables movie onslaughts. WHATS THE SECRET YOU ASK?
It can be as simple as 2 times a week for as little as 20 minutes - STRENGTH TRAINING!
It's long been observed that the human ageing process leads to various reductions in physical abilities, which can cause frailty and even injury due to falls - One of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the elderly population. A major aspect to these physical declines are due to diminishing muscle mass and strength due to ageing, a process called sarcopenia. Sarcopenia can be linked directly, or in-directly, with chronic disease, worsening or resulting in conditions such as osteoporosis. The onset of sarcopenia can occur as young as 50 years of age and compounding issues often occur simultaneously and can lead to aged people being unable to perform every day, functional tasks such as climbing stairs and standing from a chair.
In our current day society there is a massive emphasis being placed on the importance of aerobic training for all ages. This definitely shouldn't be discounted by any means! The inability to get out of a chair is far more debilitative than the inability to run. This is why there is a need to shift the emphasis of exercise towards strength type training as studies have shown that strength training can produce significant improvements in maximal and explosive strength, walking speed, and balance.
Although there may be some reluctance for physical therapists, doctors and even individuals themselves to use strength training due to the presence of multiple chronic medical conditions, the effects of resistance training have been thoroughly investigated in older people who have suffered from such conditions. Resistance training has shown to alleviate weakness and frailty and their debilitating consequences. An effective program can help maintain bone density, build muscle mass and strength, and increase independence and liveliness in seniors. Other benefits to resistance training in the elderly are reductions in risks of osteoporosis, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, arthritis, and depression.
Yours in Health and Fitness,
Will Sheehan
Personal Trainer at Vision Personal Training Neutral Bay
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
