Beginning at ~age 30, our bodies begin to lose muscle mass and bone density. This process accelerates around age 60, leading to osteopenia (reduced bone density, which often leads to osteoporosis) and sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass, strength, and function). This gradual loss of strength and resilience can cause a lot of problems as we get older, with many people eventually losing the strength needed to climb stairs, get up out of a chair or off the toilet, carry their groceries, or get up off the floor. The good news is that we can significantly slow down this loss of strength and bone density through regular strength training.
Strength training is a very specific type of exercise. Doing everyday activities that require strength, such as yard work, carpentry, or lugging your laundry, groceries, or grandkids around, is not strength training. Strength training happens when you lift something over and over until your muscles feel too tired to continue. When you do this, your body notices that your muscles got really tired, and responds by making them (and your bones, tendons, and ligaments) stronger in case you do it again. When you do this regularly, your body continues to make its tissues stronger and stronger and more and more resilient – which helps prevent injury, and keeps people living independently and doing the activities they love. Strength training is also great for metabolic health, helping your body maintain a healthy metabolism and process sugar.
Canada’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend that adults of all ages (even 95-year-olds) do strengthening exercises targeting the body’s major muscle groups 2-3 days per week. The major muscles are the muscles of the upper arms and shoulders, chest, back, buttocks, thighs, and calves. To do strengthening exercise, you need to work hard to push and pull against resistance. The resistance can come from equipment like weights or elastic bands, or your body weight. It's best to do multiple “sets” of each exercise (e.g. lifting something overhead as many times as you can in a row, then taking a break for a minute, then repeating the process [doing “a second set”]). It's safe and effective to either lift something light many, many times, or lift something heavy a small number of times – the key to gaining strength is making your muscles tired when you do it. If the exercise feels easy the whole time you're doing it, it's not going to increase your strength. Unfortunately, many seniors' fitness classes and videos do not reflect scientific recommendations when it comes to strength training, and do not challenge participants to work hard enough to actually gain (or maintain) strength when they are doing the exercises described as “strengthening exercises”. You will probably be surprised to learn that lifting heavy weights (properly) is the most effective method of strength training for older adults, even those who are very frail. This yields significantly better, longer lasting results than lifting light weights or resistance bands - and it's very safe to do when you do it consistently, with control, and gradually increase the amount you are lifting.
There are lots of great strengthening exercises you can do at home to increase your muscle and bone strength, using equipment you probably already have around the house. Here are a couple of possibilities:
Inclined Push-Ups: Put your hands on the edge of your counter. Step your feet back, so your body is leading on an angle, and your shoulders, hips, and heels are all in one straight line. Bend your elbows, lowering your chest towards the edge of the counter. Then straighten your elbows, pushing yourself back up. If this is too easy, slow it waaaaay down, or put your hands on a lower surface (such as the seat of a chair or couch). Repeat over and over until your muscles are too tired to continue. Take a one minute break. Then do a second set. Take another one minute break, then do a third set.
Single Leg Heel Raises: Stand on one leg, holding onto the counter for balance. Lift your heel up off the floor, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat over and over until your muscles are too tired to continue. Then switch legs. Tire out each leg 3 times. If this is too hard, put the toe of your free leg on the floor and use it to help you rise up on your toes. If this is too hard, do the exercise on two feet rather than one.
Chair Dips: Put your hands on the arms of a sturdy chair. Use your arms to lift your buttocks up off the seat of the chair (use your legs as little as possible). Then slowly lower it back down. Repeat over and over until your muscles are too tired to continue. Take a one minute break. Then do a second set. Take another one minute break, then do a third set.
(if you're having trouble visualizing these exercises, type the name of each exercise into YouTube's search bar and you will find lots of videos showing how to do it)
Other very important elements of strength training include not doing the same exercises every day (after you tire out your muscles, it's really important to give them a day off to recover and get stronger before you tire them out again), and making sure you're eating enough protein to enable your body to build muscle. Many people do not eat enough protein. A general recommendation is to eat 1-1.2 grams of protein per day per kilogram of body weight.
If you're nervous about trying strengthening exercise due to pain, fatigue, health challenges, or inexperience, a physiotherapist or personal trainer can be a great resource.
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