I grew up the daughter of a geriatric nurse and spent my formative years in nursing homes. The images of frail elderly people left an impression on me, and I vowed to myself that I would never become an elderly person. The first book that taught me how to do this was Dr. Miriam Nelson’s Strong Women Stay Young, which I stumbled upon in 1998.
Until then, I was an “aerobics fanatic” who focused on training my heart and lungs. Dr. Nelson shared the results of a landmark 1990 study published in JAMA that showed that eight weeks of strength training increased muscle strength by 175% and gait speed and balance by 48%. Ta. These results weren’t surprising until we found out who the study group was: frail older men and women in nursing homes.
Before this study, no one knew that older adults could increase muscle strength and muscle mass. This dispels the myth that sarcopenia (the loss of muscle and strength caused by the aging process) is inevitable.
Researchers like Dr. Nelson have shown me how important it is to learn how to lift weights safely. And instead of small 1-2 pound dumbbells, the only weight I could lift with proper form was 10-12 reps. The benefits of what she called “high-intensity strength training” from a one-year study of postmenopausal women look like a fountain of youth – leaner muscles, less joint pain and stiffness, more Better balance, less body fat, and higher weight activity levels and stronger bones.
Fast forward to 2022, and another landmark study follows the National Health Interview Survey of 416,420 American adults. The study looked at the type of physical activity participants engaged in, how often it affected their mortality risk (mortality risk). Participants who did one hour of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise per week had a 15% lower risk of death. Those who worked 3 hours a week had a 27% lower risk. But those who took part in one or two strength-training sessions a week had an even lower risk of death, fully 40% lower than those who didn’t exercise at all. Interestingly, this was similar to the difference between a non-smoker and a half-pack-a-day habit.
Researchers found that 30 to 60 minutes of strength training per week had the greatest benefits, followed by a 10 to 20 percent reduction in risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. .
For most of us, the idea of aging successfully includes the ability to be independent and maintain function and quality of life. However, muscle loss begins in your 30s and progresses with age. In some cases, this can be so subtle that you don’t notice it until you try to get up from your chair.
When our “independence muscles”, the large muscles that move our lower bodies, weaken, our ability to care for ourselves is impaired. This new study shows that by learning how to strength train, you can not only avoid the negative effects of aging, but also live longer and function at a higher level. Dr Monica Ciolino, one of the doctors involved in the study, said: “Studies show that even people in their 70s who have mobility issues can benefit from a regular strength training program.” Ta. And that’s good news for all of us!
— Lisa, a Farmington resident, is a former ICU nurse who grew up in Fort Martin. She is from Smith, Arkansas. She has spent the past 38 years working on various aspects of fitness and wellness, helping individuals transform through movement, nutrition, and mindset training. Although she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Roberts University and her MBA from Indiana University, she enjoys helping others grow their “health banks” as a holistic nurse coach. I am most passionate about. She can be contacted at www.LisaBellHenson.com.
