The Fountain of Youth can be found in dumbbells!
By Dr. Linda M. Rhodes©
Q: I heard on the radio that strength training can actually make aging muscles younger. I caught the end of the show and wasn't sure if this was an advertisement. Is this hype or really true?
A: Forget looking for the fountain of youth in pill bottles, you'll find it in dumbbells.
What you probably picked up is the result of a recent study by researchers at the Buck Institute for Age Research. They discovered that strength training can actually change muscle tissue at the genetic level with dramatic results among seventy year olds. After six months of workouts twice a week, elderly participants not only got to show off new biceps but their genetic profiles came pretty close to the composition of muscle cells of twenty-somethings who were also part of the study. That counts for reversing the clock of aging, or as Dr. Simon Melov, the lead researcher of the project would tell you, “The genetic fingerprint was reversed [among elderly participants] not entirely but enough to say that their genetic profile was more like young people then old people.” One third of the 600 genes they examined had become “younger” positively affecting the powerhouse of cells that transform nutrients into energy (mitochondria). Besides feeling more energetic, this discovery also means that pushing weights can also thwart off heart disease, strokes, dementia and Parkinson's.
This study comes on top of another that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine reporting that an exercise combo of weight training and aerobics significantly controls blood sugar of older people with Type 2 diabetes - one of the fastest growing chronic conditions among the elderly. By lowering blood sugar concentrations by just one percent, a diabetic can reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke by 15 to 20 percent and a 25 to 40 percent less risk of other complications common to diabetes such as retinopathy, according to Dr. Ronald Sigel of the University of Calgary in Canada.
Given the fact that muscle mass declines about four percent each decade beginning at age twenty-five and muscle strength, flexibility and vitality of tissue declines due to what scientists call sacropenia; being a couch potato is downright dangerous. Who would have thought kicking back with a remote in hand would turn out to be a health hazard?
The good news is that with moderate exercise, much of what we thought was inevitable in old age: loss of strength, mobility, flexibility, endurance and balance are preventable.
If you have a chronic condition, be sure to check with your physician before you start an exercise program. Here is what the American Diabetes Association and the National Institute of Senior Health recommends:
- For aerobic exercise take brisk walks outside, at the mall or on a treadmill, swim or do water aerobics, get on a stationary bike, or put on some music and dance. Take steps instead of elevators and park your car farther from the store.
- For strength training, start off with very light weights (one or two pounds), use elastic bands to stretch, exercise major muscles in your chest, back, shoulders, arms, abdomen and legs. Do these twice a week.
- Do your strength exercises between ten and fifteen repetitions with enough resistance that you can only manage to do fifteen of them.
- Warm up with stretching exercises before you begin any work-out.
- Don't hold your breath during strength exercises, instead, breath out as you lift or push a weight and breathe in as you relax.
- For balance exercises, stand behind a table or chair and raise one leg six to twelve inches to the side keeping your back and both legs straight. Alternate between legs doing sets of ten to fifteen.
- Stand on one foot while waiting in line; stand up and sit down without using your hands.
With all of these exercises, it will be normal to feel some minor discomfort the next day but you should not be feeling a lot of joint pain or exhaustion. If so, chances are you're doing something wrong.
For transcripts and videos on how to perform basic exercises designed for seniors go to the National Institute of Senior Health's web site at http://nihseniorhealth.gov. Even if you use a walker, cane or are chair bound, you can get in shape. For that purpose, check out the Stronger Senior exercise videos at www.strongerseniors.com or call to order at 800-471-2637. Your local bookstore and library also offer books and videos that illustrate how to exercise. Don't forget to visit your local senior center, many of which, offer healthy lifestyle programs. Whatever you do, don't just sit there!
