It’s never too late to strengthen your muscles, according to new research.
After studying muscle tissue samples taken from 197 people, researchers concluded that resistance training could slow and, in many cases, reverse the changes in muscle fibers associated with aging. This was even true in people who didn’t start resistance training until after age 70.
“Depending on your previous activity levels, you can continue to build muscle into your 80s and beyond,” says Andrew R. Jagim, Ph.D., director of sports medicine research at Mayo Clinic.
By doing so, you’ll do much more than remain stronger for longer. You’ll also live longer and healthier while better maintaining physical function.
What is resistance training?
Resistance training — also known as strength training — involves pushing or pulling against the resistance of an object. That resistance can come from any of the following:
- Your body weight.
- A water jug or other household object heavy enough to make your muscles work.
- Resistance bands.
- Weighted vests.
- Gym machines.
- Free weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells.
“The key to resistance training is applying external resistance to your muscles and gradually increasing that resistance over time. It doesn’t matter what type of weight you use or how the resistance is applied as long as the intended movement patterns are done correctly and the right muscles are activated,” says Dr. Jagim.
Benefits of resistance training
Resistance training helps slow aging in several ways.
Bigger, stronger muscles
As many people age, their muscles become smaller and weaker. When extensive, this age-related muscle loss can eventually result in sarcopenia — a condition that’s associated with frailty, falls and fractures.
This muscle loss primarily affects the muscle fibers responsible for lifting heavier objects or for completing strength-based chores such as carrying groceries and yard work. “Those fibers get hit the hardest,” says Dr. Jagim.
Though everyone loses some muscle as they age, resistance training can slow and, in some cases, reverse these losses.
Reduced risk of diabetes
The loss of muscle mentioned above affects more than your ability to get out of a chair or walk without falling. It also influences your metabolism. Muscle tissue secretes substances that encourage cells to use blood sugar more efficiently. In addition, “muscles can act as a sink for glucose disposal, helping to better regulate blood sugar levels,” explains Dr. Jagim. As a result, bigger, stronger muscles can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Improved cognitive function
Resistance training has been shown to slow the loss of cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor for dementia. Specifically, resistance training seems to slow aging in a part of the brain that’s involved in memory, called the hippocampus.
Resistance training likely protects the brain in at least two ways, says Dr. Jagim. First, when you exercise, you increase blood flow throughout your body, including to your brain. Second, your nervous system and muscles work together as you lift weights. Each lift initiates signals between your muscles and brain — signals that may not always get used when people are sedentary. In addition to keeping your brain in shape, this frequent activation of the neuromuscular system helps maintain coordination and balance as you age.
Stronger bones
All weight-bearing activities fire up bone-building cells called osteoblasts. However, resistance training is especially potent. Resistance causes muscles to tug and push against bones. In addition, your skeleton must work with and support your muscles to lift progressively heavier weights. According to a review of nine randomized controlled trials involving just under 500 people, this added stress on the bones can help slow and, in some cases, reverse age-related bone loss.
Lower blood pressure
As you lift a heavy object, your muscles tense up, temporarily restricting blood flow. This, in turn, increases pressure in your blood vessels, which your heart must overcome to pump blood. As a result, your systolic blood pressure — the top number of your blood pressure reading — may rise into the 200s. However, it only stays that high for a split second, says Dr. Jagim.
“That temporary sheer stress triggers blood vessels to adapt, improving their function over time. They become more elastic and better able to vasodilate or open to better facilitate blood flow,” Dr. Jagim says.
In research that looked at people age 60 and older, consistent resistance training led to an average 7 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) drop in systolic blood pressure and a 4 mmHg drop in diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
A longer life
Resistance training may help people live longer. In research involving 4,449 people age 50 and older, stronger study participants were less likely to die over the four-year study than were study participants with low muscle strength. This benefit is likely a combination of the previously mentioned benefits. Plus, when you’re stronger, you’re more likely to remain active and independent as you age, which also can improve overall health.
How to do resistance training
In addition to using the following advice, you may want to consult a healthcare professional, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a health condition such as high blood pressure or osteoarthritis. If needed, your healthcare professional may suggest that you work with a physical therapist or personal trainer to develop a safe training program for your condition.
Consider starting with machines or bands. If you’re new to resistance training, gym machines can help you become more familiar with most common strength training movement patterns and the muscle groups they target. Resistance bands offer another excellent option for beginners, as the bands are relatively easy to use, can be used anywhere, and are safe and affordable.
Add in free weights over time. Once you’ve used weight machines or resistance bands to build strength and coordination, consider adding a few free weight exercises to your routine. Dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells can all help you perform the functional movements that build the strength needed for activities of daily living. For example, a squat or sit-to-stand can help you build and maintain the strength to get out of a recliner or off the toilet without assistance. A farmer’s walk — walking several yards with a dumbbell in each hand — can help you to carry a wide range of heavy objects, from suitcases to groceries.
Challenge yourself. To fully stimulate your muscle fibers, you’ll want to lift relatively heavy weights. Ideally, during your final repetition, you should feel as if you can only lift the weight one or two more times. Once you can easily lift a weight for 5 to 10 repetitions, it’s time to choose a heavier weight. That way you can keep stimulating your muscles so that you can continue to see progress over time. Also, try to select exercises that are classified as multiple-joint exercises — also called compound movements — such as the squat, pushup and lat pull-down. These exercises target the largest muscle groups and offer the greatest overall benefit as opposed to single-joint exercises such as the biceps curl.
Breathe. The temporary increase in blood pressure, mentioned earlier, gets exaggerated if you hold your breath. Exhale through the harder phase of the lift and inhale through the easier phase. In addition, skip advanced powerlifting techniques like the Valsalva maneuver — which involves intentionally holding your breath — if you have a history of cardiac events or stroke.
Allow your muscles to recover. Your muscles get stronger during the rest between your resistance training sessions. Try not to train the same muscle groups on back-to-back days. In other words, if you do a full-body workout on a Monday, don’t do resistance training again until at least Wednesday.
Consume enough protein. Your muscles need protein to recover and gain strength. Aim for 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That comes to 82 to 85 daily grams of protein for a 150-pound person.
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