Reversed Effects of Aging

You may have seen stooped-over women in the grocery store who must use the grocery basket as a rolling walker to get around the aisles. Their upper backs have been rounded for so many years that now they can barely lift up their heads. No one wants to end up looking stooped or experiencing the pain that arises from that condition.

One of the best ways to prevent and even reverse these effects of aging is to strength train. Everyone talks about how important it is to have excellent cardiovascular health, and that is true. However, having the heart of a marathon runner doesn't do any good for a 70 year-old woman who is so weak she can't even get off the couch, let alone run. If you have ever been close to such elderly people, you know how their weakness handicaps them. As we age, we lose muscle fiber and bone density. If we strength train when we are younger and maintain that training philosophy throughout our lives, we may never experience those effects of aging.

Numerous research studies have proven that resistance training in elderly women is safe and increases muscular size and strength. Resistance exercise in the elderly population improves function, which can lead to more independent living. The high level of disability and falls in the elderly may be due to their low muscular strength. Because training with weights increases muscular size, muscular strength, and bone density, older women who weight train can experience all of these benefits. Being stronger, with larger muscles, at an older age delays some of the natural aging processes like muscle loss, bone loss, decreased metabolic rate, and decreased energy and activity levels. Practically speaking, older adults who weight train may have an easier time with their daily activities, lengthen their years of independent living, and experience fewer chronic diseases.