Beneficial resistance exercises for the elderly

• April 26, 2024

Who would not like to have a good quality of life when they meet 65 years or older ? We have always heard that exercise is one of the best ways to ensure that this happens, but the reality is that the minority seems to turn a deaf ear to this advice.

When you become an older adult you have the responsibility to exercise to avoid the loss, which occurs over time, of force Y musculature ; But if we add to this, it may be a good stage to become stronger, maybe the option is more motivating.

In the portal Very Interesting.com They take up the information of a study carried out by the University of Michigan (USA), which recommends resistance exercise starting at 50, or even 40, "for increase muscle tissue and the ability to function more efficiently in daily life. "

Older adults with little activity (sedentary life) can lose up to 180 grams of muscle mass per year. "This only gets worse as people get older. But even earlier in adulthood, at 30, 40, 50, one can begin to see deterioration if he does not perform activities to acquire strength "says Mark Peterson, a researcher at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan, who analyzes the study that no matter how old the person is, they can improve their strength significantly. exercises progressive resistance , even at eighty and ninety years of age.

In a magazine article The American Journal of Medicine Peterson and his experts showed that after an average of 18 to 20 weeks of progressive resistance training, an adult can add more than a thousand grams of muscle and increase their overall strength from 25% to 30%.

So the expert concludes that everyone over 50 should consider resistance exercises in their daily lives. A good way to start with a resistance routine is to use your own body mass as a weight for the exercises; for example squatting, lifting the hips, Tai Chi , Yoga or Pilates . Gradually older adults will progress in their routine and join groups of experts in endurance exercises, as well as get advice from professional trainers for a complete routine.

Peterson recommends always asking for a medical authorization before starting these exercises and incorporating activities that use more than one joint Y group of muscles simultaneously, such as exercises with the legs, chest and rowing. These are safer and more effective in the development of muscle mass.

Video Medicine: Seated Exercises for Older Adults (April 2024).