Strength Training
for the Older Lifter
The worst advice an older person can ever get is: “Take it easy.” “Taking it easy” doesn’t help us walk up stairs, carry groceries, tend our gardens, or shovel snow. In fact, taking it easy can make everything we do in the course of a day harder.
“If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”
— Eubie Blake, composer & Baltimore native
As we age, one of the biggest challenges we face is the loss of physical strength and the many issues that come with it:
Loss of muscle mass
Bone mineral loss and osteoporosis
Hip fractures
Loss of balance and coordination
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Loss of physical independence
Loss of
Muscle Mass
Sarcopenia literally means "lack of flesh." It's a condition of age-associated muscle degeneration that becomes more common in people over the age of 50. After middle age, adults lose 3% of their muscle strength every year, on average. This decrease in muscle leads to a reduction in a person's strength. As a result, their balance and gait are also affected. Age-related muscle loss, called sarcopenia, is a natural part of aging. After age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% per decade. Most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes.
Bone mineral loss and osteoporosis
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn't keep up with the loss of old bone.
Hip fractures
Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of osteoporosis. Hip fractures often are caused by a fall and can result in disability and even an increased risk of death within the first year after the injury. In some cases, spinal fractures can occur even if you haven't fallen. The bones that make up your spine (vertebrae) can weaken to the point of crumpling, which can result in back pain, lost height and a hunched forward posture.
Loss of balance
and coordination
As we age, our balance declines — if it isn't practiced — and can cause falls.
Every year more than one in three people age 65 years or older fall, and the risk increases with age.
Gait and balance disorders are common in older adults and are a major cause of falls in this population. They are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as reduced level of function.
Diabetes and
Heart Disease
Diabetes is one of the biggest health issues in American history, and it’s only affecting more people as the population grows.
As of 2015, the Center for Disease Control says more than 30 million Americans have some form of diabetes. That number makes up just under 10 percent of the entire American population. Around 25 percent of those 65 and older have diabetes, the CDC says, meaning about 12 million seniors have the condition.
Loss of physical independence
What do we mean by a loss of independence? At its core, losing independence means that you start to have trouble managing your day to day life. You begin to lose control over physical, emotional or social parts of your life.
Learning how to Get Down and Get Up!
Mona (85), shares that she’s now strong enough to get into the back seat of her car.
Mona shows us how she gets off a public toilet now that she is stronger.
Mona shows how much easier it is to carry her own bags to her car now that she’s stronger.
“Exercise is the best prescription for maintaining independence.”
— Washington Post article, February 2023
READY TO GET STRONGER?
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