Although this article
is written for women and the research was conducted using female
participants,
the points mentioned also pertain to men. I know that weight training
is
equally important for men as they age. Not only will lifting weights as
part of your overall fitness routine help you lose excess weight or
control
your weight, but your body will feel stronger and healthier.
Weight
Training and Its Effects on Aging
- What Research Shows
By
Janet Ford, President,
PowerFit LLC
Everyone gets older. How
you get older is up to you.
The Research: In 1994, Dr.
Miriam Nelson and other researchers from Tufts University uncovered
unexpected
results from a study performed with women in their 50's and 60's. These
women were given a weight lifting program to perform twice a week, one
half hour each time. The women did not alter their diets or try to lose
weight during the study.
The Results: After one year,
measurements of the women's lean muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness,
coordination
and bone density were comparable to younger women in their 30's and
early
40's! In addition, the women dropped one or two dress sizes (again
without
dieting). Beyond the researchers' wildest predictions, the women were
able
to turn back the clock 15 to 20 years, just by lifting weights twice a
week! Comparable results were not found with aerobic training or
walking.
Prior to the Tufts University
research, it was thought that frailty was an inevitable part of getting
old. If you think of it, we do not normally associate heart disease or
clogged arteries with our images of old age - generally we see in our
mind's
eye a wobbly woman, leaning forward, walking with a hesitant gait, no
muscle
tone, brittle bones. Sadly, many women curtail their activities as they
get older, precisely because they fear losing balance, falling and
breaking
a bone. Remember the commercial - "I've fallen and I can't get up!",
depicting
a poor pathetic older woman who was fortunate to have purchased an
electronic,
emergency notification device to wear around her neck. Life does not
have
to get this way.
Many studies since the Tufts
University Research confirm, if you lift weights, there is no reason to
"slow down" as you get older. It is in fact possible to remain vibrant
and active throughout your entire life span.
The Conclusion: You decide
how you want your future to be. If you are not already following a
consistent
weight training program, consider doing so now.
References:
Nelson,
M., M. Fiatarone,
C. Morganti, I. Trice, R. Greenberg and W. Evans (1994), "Effects of
high-intensity
strength training on multiple risk factors for osteoporotic
fractures"Journal
of the American Medical Association 272:1900-1914.
Strong Women Stay Young,
M. Nelson, S. Wernick (Bantam 1997).
Author: Janet Ford, is President
of PowerFit LLC, owner of TheFitWoman.com,
a website of women's weight training and fitness equipment.
Posted by Janet Ford.
Posted on: Tuesday October 4, 2005
7:30 am
