Seniors need to sweat.
You’re never too old to boost or renew fitness levels, research shows
High-intensity training has become extremely popular among fitness enthusiasts in the past few years. There is increased interest in performing challenging workouts to enhance fitness and reap the benefits of short intense exercise. Traditionally, this type of training was reserved for athletes to enhance sports performance, but now it has become a common method of fitness training.
The benefits of this type of training are well documented in research. This short intense workout style can increase aerobic capacity faster then steady-state training, and increase fat utilization for energy causing bigger changes in body composition, just to name a few benefits. This has lead to questions about whether older adults can experience the same benefits in a safe way.
Having just returned from speaking at the annual American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM) convention in Atlanta, Ga., these questions were addressed and discussed with some very enlightening information. Currently the ACSM Guidelines for Older Adults are based on general resistance training guiding principles for developing strength endurance.
ACSM recommends a lowto-moderate intensity range of 65 to 75 per cent of one-repetition maximum to boost strength and reduce the risk of injury.
The current guidelines provide an excellent starting point and will provide health benefits, but new research shows that older adults can train at higher-intensity exercise levels then once believed.
Research with older adults in high-intensity exercise programs, specifically heavy resistance and powerlifting exercise, have shown excellent fitness gains and functional strength for many activities of daily living.
The aging process typically causes a decrease in muscle mass at a rate of approximately five per cent per decade from the age of 40, with a rapid decrease after the age of 65. There has been much discussion as to whether this is the natural aging process or has it been accelerated due to an increased sedentary lifestyle after the age of 60.
A decrease in muscle mass and diminished neuromuscular efficiency causes a reduction in speed, agility, balance, co-ordination and power. The accumulation of these losses greatly affects overall skills, which significantly increases the risk of falls.
Fitness is lost without exercise, however, the good news is that it’s a renewable resource and can be re-gained with activity. Just as a sedentary lifestyle can threaten health, an exercise program with appropriate levels of strength and power training can provide numerous health benefits and stimulate muscle growth even in the later years.
Higher-intensity exercises not only do wonders for the muscular system, they stimulate hormone production. Research indicates seniors that performed powertraining workouts with more explosive movement such as throwing a medicine ball or kettlebell swings, had an increased production of the hormones testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factors, which all lead to a muscle growth and more youthful appearance.
Strength represents the amount of force a muscle can generate, whereas power is the velocity of force being produced. This represents the speed at which a muscular system can be activated to produce the required movement.
Strength training exercises are typically executed at a slow and rhythmic tempo, whereas power training requires speed with controlled movement. For people over the age of 60, age-related loss of muscle power can occur approximately twice as quickly as loss of muscle strength, suggesting that muscle power is a more critical variable in age-related functional decline.
As with any exercise program, current health and fitness is critical to the appropriateness of exercise selection.
Medication, lifestyle, injuries, illness and health related concerns determine the starting place and progression of exercise.
Older adults should consider working with a certified exercise specialist or participating in a group-exercise program that is specifically designed for older adults to advance exercises at a progressive rate
Current movement function or loss of movement, mobility and strength are considerations in effective exercise choices. Always consult your physician prior to starting an exercise program.
The big message is that healthy active older adults can perform high intensity exercise with great health and fitness benefits. Grey hair and wrinkles are a natural process of aging, however, when it comes to muscles and physical training the body has a great capacity to adapt even as we age. In fact, some experts argue muscles do not know age.