Older adults who exercise can add resistance training to increase their quality of life. By building muscle endurance, seniors can reduce their physical vulnerability, help ease the symptoms of chronic conditions, boost resilience and maintain their quality of life and independence.
Sadly, many seniors don’t regularly incorporate resistance training into their exercise routine. But a new position statement published in the
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
hopes to change that by promoting the benefits of resistance training in older adults and reduce the fears that sometimes accompany the idea of trying something new.
Part one
The published piece encourages people who work with older adults, including those in nursing homes and assisted living, to adapt their programs to the various ability levels of seniors.
The first three summary statements outline the key variables for these types of resistance training, including that the programs should:
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follow the principles of individualization, periodization and progression
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work toward two to three sets of one or two multi-joint exercises per major muscle group with the intensity being between 70 and 85% of one repetition maximum, two to three times per week
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include some “at higher velocities in concentric movements with moderate intensities”
Part two
This part of the summary deals with physiological adaptions, including:
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how a properly designed program can fight age-related changes in skeletal muscle
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how the right program can enhance strength
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the role of nerve, muscle and hormone systems
Part three
This section of the position statement has to do with the functional benefits of resistance training, including how seniors can increase their resistance to falls and other injuries.
Part four
This part focuses on developing a resistance training program for older people with chronic illnesses. These might include sarcopenia and frailty or decreased muscle mass
In total, the document has 11 summary statements.
