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Why Every Senior Should Do Strength Exercise

Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D.

Please carefully consider the following thirteen health, fitness, and medical reasons for including some sensible strength exercise in your wellness oriented lifestyle.

Benefits of Sensible Strength Training

During the past few years more and more studies have shown that sensible strength training produces many health and fitness benefits especially for older adults.  Key research studies, such as those conducted at Tufts University, the University of Maryland and the South Shore YMCA, have provided a wealth of data on the positive physiological responses to basic programs of strength exercise.  Based on presently available research, consider the following thirteen reasons why every older adult should perform regular strength exercise.

Benefit One:   Avoid Muscle Loss

Adults who do not strength train lose between 5-7 pounds of muscle every decade (Forbes 1976, Evans and Rosenberg 1992).   Although endurance exercise improves our cardiovascular fitness, it does not prevent the loss of muscle tissue.  Only strength exercise maintains our muscle mass and strength throughout our mid-life and senior years.

Benefit Two:   Avoid Metabolic Rate Reduction

Because muscle is very active tissue, muscle loss is accompanied by a reduction in our resting metabolism.  Information from Keyes et al. (1973) and Evans and Rosenberg (1992) indicates that the average adult experiences a 2-5 percent reduction in metabolic rate every decade of life.  Because regular strength exercise prevents muscle loss it also prevents the accompanying decrease in resting metabolic rate.

Benefit Three:  Increase Muscle Mass

Because most adults do not perform strength exercise, they need to first replace the muscle tissue that has been lost through inactivity.  Fortunately, research (Westcott and Guy 1996) shows that a standard strength training program can increase muscle mass by about 3 pounds over an 8-week training period.  This is the typical training response for men and women who do 25 minutes of strength exercise 2 or 3 days per week, and represents an excellent return on a time-efficient investment.

Benefit Four:   Increase Metabolic Rate

Research reveals that adding 3 pounds of muscle increases our resting metabolic rate by 7 percent, and our daily calorie requirements by 15 percent (Campbell et al. 1994).  At rest, a pound of muscle requires about 35 calories per day for tissue maintenance, and during exercise muscle energy utilization increases dramatically.  Adults who replace muscle through sensible strength exercise use more calories all day long, thereby reducing the likelihood of fat accumulation.

Benefit Five:   Reduce Body Fat

Campbell and his co-workers (1994) found that strength exercise produced 4 pounds of fat loss after 3 months of training, even though the subjects were eating 15 percent more calories per day.  That is, a basic strength training program resulted in 3 pounds more lean weight, 4 pounds less fat weight, and 370 more calories per day food intake.

Benefit Six:   Increase Bone Mineral Density

The effects of progressive resistance exercise are similar for muscle tissue and bone tissue.  The same training stimulus that increases muscle proteins also increases bone proteins and mineral content.  Menkes et al. (1993) demonstrated significant increases in the bone mineral density of the femur bone (upper leg) after 4 months of strength exercise.

Benefit Seven:  Improve Glucose Metabolism

Hurley (1994) has reported a 23 percent increase in glucose utilization after 4 months of strength training.  Because poor glucose metabolism is associated with adult onset diabetes, improved glucose metabolism is an important benefit of regular strength exercise.

Benefit Eight:  Increase Gastrointestinal Transit Speed

A study by Koffler et al. (1992) showed a 56 percent increase in gastrointestinal transit speed after 3 months of strength training.  This is a significant finding due to the fact that delayed gastrointestinal transit time is related to a higher risk of colon cancer.

Benefit Nine:  Reduce Resting Blood Pressure

Strength training alone has been shown to significantly reduce resting blood pressure (Harris and Holly 1987).  Another study (Westcott and Guy 1996) has revealed that strength plus aerobic exercise is highly effective for improving blood pressure readings.  After 2 months of combined exercise, the program participants dropped their systolic blood pressure by 4 mm Hg. and their diastolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg.

Benefit Ten:  Improve Blood Lipid Levels

Although the effects of strength training on blood lipid levels needs further research, at least 2 studies (Stone et al. 1982, and Hurley et al. 1988) have revealed improved blood lipid profiles after several weeks of strength exercise.  It is important to note that improvements in blood lipid levels are similar for both endurance and strength exercise (Hurley 1994).

Benefit Eleven:  Reduce Low Back Pain

Several years of research on strength training and back pain conducted at the University of Florida Medical School has shown that strong low-back muscles are less likely to be injured bow-back muscles.  A recent study by Risch (1993) found that low-back patients had significantly less back pain after 10 weeks of specific (full - range) strength exercise for the lumbar spine muscles.   Because 80 percent of all Americans experience low back problems, it is advisable for all adults to properly strengthen their low back muscles.

Benefit Twelve:  Reduce Arthritic Pain

According to a recent edition of the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter (1994), sensible strength training eases the pain of osteo and rheumatoid arthritis.  This is good news, because most men and women who suffer from arthritic pain need strength exercise to develop stronger muscles, bones, and connective tissue to improve joint function.

Benefit Thirteen:  Reduce Depression

A Harvard University study (Singh 1997) found that seriously depressed seniors responded most favorable to a basic program of strength exercise.  After 10 weeks of strength training, 87 percent of the program participants no longer met the criteria for clinical depression, even though they received no other treatment.  Apparently, increasing muscle strength and physical functionality is highly effective for improving emotional states in previously depressed senior men and women.

Summary of Strength Training Benefits

There are 13 physiological reasons why older adults should perform regular strength exercise.  On a more basic level, it is important to realize that proper strength training may help us look better, feel better, and function better.  Understand that our skeletal muscles serve as the engine, chassis, and shock absorbers of our bodies.  Consequently, strength training is an effective means for increasing our physical capacity, improving our athletic performance, reducing our injury risk, enhancing our personal appearance, and improving our self-confidence.

References 

Campbell, W.,Crim, M., Young,V. and Evans,W. (1994). Increased energy requirements and changes in body composition with resistance training in older adults.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 60: 167-175.

Evans, W. and Rosenberg, I. (1992) Biomarkers, New York: Simon and Schuster. Forbes, G. B. (1976).  “The adult decline in lean body mass,” Human Biology, 48: 161-73.

Harris, K. and Holly R. (1987).   Physiological response to circuit weight training in borderline hypertensive subjects.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 19: 246-252.

Hurley, B. (1994).  Does strength training improve health status?  Strength and Conditioning Journal, 16: 7-13.

Hurley, B., Hagberg, J., Goldberg, A., et al. (1988).  Resistance training can reduce coronary risk factors without altering VO2  max or percent body fat.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 20: 150-154.

Keyes, A., Taylor, H.L. and Grande, F. (1973).  “Basal Metabolism and Age of Adult Man,” Metabolism, 22: 579-87.

Koffler, K., Menkes, A. Redmond, W. et al. (1992).  Strength training accelerates gastrointestinal transit in middle-aged and older men.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 24: 415-419.

Menkes, A., Mazel, S., Redmond, R. et al. (1993).  Strength training increases regional bone mineral density and bone remodeling in middle-aged and older men.  Journal of Applied Physiology, 74: 2478-2484.

Risch, S., Nowell, N. Pollock, M., et al. (1993).  Lumbar strengthening in chronic low back pain patients.  Spine, 18: 232-238.

Singh, N., Clements, K. and Fiatarone, M.  A randomized controlled trial of progressive resistance training in depressed elders.  Journal of Gerontology, 52 A (1): M 27 - M 35.

Stone, M., Blessing, D., Byrd, R., et al. (1982).  Physiological effects of a short term resistive training program on middle-aged untrained men.  National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal, 4: 16-20.

Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter, (1994).  Never too late to build up your muscle.  12: 6-7 (September).

Westcott, W. and Guy, J. (1996).   A physical evolution.  Sedentary adults see marked improvements in as little as two days a week.  IDEA Today, 14 (9): 58-65.

Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., C.S.C.S, is Fitness Research Director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA. He is strength training consultant for numerous national organizations, such as the American Council on Exercise, the American Senior Fitness Association, and the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, and editorial advisor for many publications, including Prevention, Shape, and Club Industry magazines.

He is also author of 20 fitness books including the new releases, No More Cellulite, Building Strength and Stamina, Strength Training Past 50, Strength Training for Seniors, Complete Conditioning for Golf, and Strength and Power for Young Athletes.

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