Login | April 19, 2024
Resistance training and the 60-plus
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: April 12, 2021
It’s funny but when we see commercials promoting gyms and resistance equipment, almost inevitably the people sweating and slaving away on the devices are youthful individuals.
Now in my opinion such imagery is yet another example of society’s fascination with age and youthfulness––and the marketers eagerness to oblige that fascination.
I guess my problem with such fitness-marketing imagery is that it’s a huge disservice to older folks, because despite the fact that they’re the ones who most need and most benefit from resistance training, they’re usually the ones who marketers tend to most neglect in fitness marketing.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not implying that resistance training isn’t important to younger folks, it is but resistance training isn’t just “a young person’s gig.”
Truth be told, as one gets older that resistance training becomes more and more critical to one’s everyday health. And if you don’t believe me then take a quick spin on your Google machine to see what health and fitness specialists have to say about it.
Most agree that resistance training for older individuals is critically important, so important that it supersedes the importance of cardiovascular training.
This all makes me wonder if fitness marketing weren’t so skewed towards a younger population that pumping iron in a gym just might be more sellable to older individuals?
With that being said, today’s column is my own piece of marketing, a several hundred word blurb aimed at you 60-plus individuals who aren’t quite sold on the idea that weight training should be a very necessary component in your life.
First, realize that the process of aging, even when devoid of chronic disease, is still associated with a cornucopia of biological changes that can lead to decreases in muscle/bone mass, strength and function.
Such losses decrease our body’s resilience and increase our vulnerability to catastrophic events––like falling.
Here are three of my best marketing pitches on why you should jump on the resistance exercise bandwagon.
1. Resistance training helps to increase bone density.
This is big, because as we age the body turns to our bones for a source of essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. And when bone minerals are utilized by the body there’s a resultant loss in bone density.
By lifting weights the bones are subject to increased levels of stress and thus compensate to the stresses by ever so slightly increasing in size.
This is the result of the stimulation of the osteoblasts (bone cells) which are responsible for bone growth.
Resistance training maintains and improves bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength.
2. Next is the issue of sarcopenia, the slow process of muscle loss resultant from the mechanisms of aging.
Your takeaway here is realizing that inactive individuals can lose an estimated 3 to 8 percent of lean body tissue (muscle) per decade after the age of 30––a startling statistic.
Thus, sarcopenia not only causes a loss in muscular strength but it’s also responsible for mobility and disability issues.
The good news here is that a two times per week resistance training program coupled with an adequate diet can help to slow or partially reverse the effects of sarcopenia.
3. And last but not least there’s the issue of age-related arthritis.
In this case resistance training can be a super “alternative medicine” with which one may be able to get some relief from arthritic issues.
It goes like this.
Joints are surrounded by soft tissues called synovial membranes which produce synovial fluids.
These fluids are viscous and act like a lubricating substance, thereby enabling bones to glide smoothy past one another.
Those resistance exercises promote the circulation of synovial fluids.
What’s more, because resistance exercise promotes a higher heart rate, there’s an increase in blood circulation to those achy joints.
Net result here is that synovial membranes get a much needed influx of oxygen and nutrients with that resistance exercise.
And finally there’s this little nugget.
Resistance work creates forces that push water molecules out of joint cartilage, a process that’s somewhat analogous to squeezing water out of a sponge.
Then when the force is removed those water molecules surge back into the cartilage bringing with them oxygen and nutrients.
So all you west of 60, get out there and prove those fitness marketing geniuses wrong.
Resistance training is an every person’s gig, so jump on the bandwagon and ride it to a healthier, stronger, fitter body.