Strength Training for a Quality Life
Strength Training is key to your longevity and the quality of years you live and it may be the single most important thing that you can do to create a healthy life.
Did you know that you naturally lose muscle mass as you age? After the age of 28, you lose muscle consistently, year after year unless you take action to stop it.
I look around me and everywhere I see very frail elderly people who are unable to stand without assistance, who walk very slowly, who are fatigued, who have lost weight (muscle mass), and weaker, elderly people are vulnerable to falls that often lead to poor health outcomes.
The elderly also lose the enzyme telomerase as they age. What is this you might ask? Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of our DNA and the enzyme ‘telomerase’ is key to keeping our telomeres long. People with the longest telomeres are the healthiest, fittest and most youthful people.
Another problem the elderly have is a loss of testosterone. Lack of testosterone leads to a loss of muscle mass and bone loss which only compounds the situation.
So what does all of this have to do with strength training?
In short, strength training helps prevent the loss of muscle mass, telomerase and testosterone.
The science shows that strength training (or functional exercises will work just as effectively such as: squats, push-ups, burpees, and pull-ups) can literally add years to your life – quality years. Weight training affects not only our physical health, but our thinking skills, our memory and our emotional health as well.
Strength training is the one action you have control over in determining your future as a healthy, strong, vibrant and independent elderly person. You have the ability, right now, to prevent the natural loss of muscle that occurs and enjoy a quality life now and in your future!
Dr. Lori