Strength training helps adults over 60 maintain muscle strength, strengthen their bones and support brain health. Although building muscle becomes more difficult with age, regular resistance exercises can help preserve mobility and independence, experts say, according to HealthDay.
"The protective effects of muscles and muscle mass are well established, ranging from musculoskeletal health to brain function," said Adil Ahmed, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
According to Ahmed, building muscle may help slow the progression of dementia and preserve cognitive function.
Strength training also helps maintain bone density. This becomes particularly important with age, when bone breakdown begins to outpace bone formation.
Bone loss accelerates after age 50, and women may lose up to 20% of their bone density during the first seven years after menopause, according to UCLA Health.
Muscle mass also gradually declines. From around age 30, people may lose up to 8% of their muscle mass per decade, with the process accelerating after age 60.
Although research has yet to establish exactly how much muscle mass older adults can gain through strength training, studies show that resistance exercises performed two to three times a week improve strength, grip strength and walking speed.
In a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers followed more than 200,000 older adults for 15 years. Participation in strength training was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and other causes compared with not engaging in such exercise. The association was stronger among women and people who also performed aerobic exercise.
Before starting a strength-training program later in life, experts recommend consulting a doctor and working with a qualified trainer who can teach proper technique. Ahmed suggests beginning with resistance machines that provide controlled movements before gradually progressing to free weights.
Beginners can start with bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, wall push-ups and standing up from a chair. Once they can complete eight repetitions with proper technique, they can add light dumbbells or resistance bands. The load should be increased gradually, with one or two days between workouts to allow the body to recover.
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