I am 77 and started strength training about a year ago. I go to the YMCA three times a week and do circuit training on Emachines. It takes me a little over an hour to go through two circuits. I also play pickleball three times a week for two hours at a time. I feel terrific. I am someone who who was never athletic but decided to begin exercising after retiring. I don't want to be a fragile old woman who can't take care of herself. This routine has given me more energy, my posture has improved, and both strength training and pickleball are lots of fun.
3
Weight lifting - dumbells, body weight - nothing too serious - is my favorite exercise (in conjunction with walking, bike rides, hikes, etc..). It makes me feel uplifted if I'm a little down. And keeps my body firm as I get older. I absolutely love it.
1
For many years I’ve enjoyed swimming, running and playing tennis but weight lifting has never appealed to me. A couple of years ago, at the gym I noticed some men doing pull ups and chinups and that somehow appealed to me as a weight lifting excercise.
Maybe it’s the memory, that at 18 I could do 18 chinups for a fitness test.
Now, at the age of 69 I have done as many as 13 chinups and 12 pull ups. I’m aiming for 15 pull ups. In addition to whatever benefits I get from lifting weights, and very qickly getting myself totally out of breath, it gives me a big incentive to stay trim - the less I weigh, the less I have to lift and the closer I get to the goal.
I mentioned that I had noticed men doing the chinups, On very rare occasions I have seen women doing this excercise as well. For those more challanged in this excercise a rubber band can be used where you lift yourself with a leg as well.
1
I took up weight lifting about 10 years ago, when I was 60-ish. Gym membership was too costly for me, but I followed the book "Strong Women Stay Young" by Miriam Nelson, and bought a few dumbbells, and within a few months the improvement was enormous. And I found that I liked lifting weights (unlike most other exercises I've tried that soon become boring). Now in my mid-70's, I am stronger than I was in my younger years (I never had any body strength before), and I love it. It's great being able to carry in 30-pound bags of dog food without struggling. There've been a few injuries along the way, but not many, and the injuries have helped me to learn more about what my body can do and what it needs. I'm so glad I discovered weight lifting, and only wish I had learned about it sooner.
3
Since not all of us owls want to be up and exercising at dawn with the larks, make sure to have some classes at night. In fact, offer more than just physical education classes. How about continuing education? Classes could be given by and given to retired people--people with special expertise or experience offering it to seniors, real seniors, who actually want to be in school. They will be attentive, and will have their own life experience to contribute. So let's keep our schools open before and after school hours for a wider population of teachers/facilitators and learners.
1
Use it or lose it.
Well understood.
Use it and get it back.
How novel!
I find weight lifting painful, boring and injury-inducing.
No mention of joints or tendons? What sort of old people is she talking about?
It only takes two or three hours of weight training a week to make a big difference in your life. Three one hour sessions a week. The benefits for older people are significant.
I've been lifting weights for 56 years. Think of it as a discipline.
4
I always had trouble getting past the first two or three attempts at weight training, and am wondering if that resistance to it wanes after a month or two and it becomes more enjoyable, especially if it's supervised (mine weren't). Rationally I get it that weight training can be of great help, but I just don't enjoy it. If that feeling changes over time, under supervision (which I presume is a motivator), that would be useful to know.
1
@Joe N
Joe, I know exactly how you feel, because up until about 5 years ago I felt the same way (I'm 65 now). But I could feel my muscles getting progressively flabbier and knew from online reading articles like this one that the only solution was to get over my resistance to resistance training. One motivation was seeing people about my age struggling with walking or having to use a cane or walker. Two thinks I discovered that helped me: you only need to do your strength workout twice a week (not three) and you don't need more than two sets of each exercise (not three). Fast forward five years and I still don't really like it, but even missing a week or so I can (or think I can) feel the atrophy begin! During COVID my gym was closed. I was fortunate to have enough dumbbells and found lots of bodyweight workouts online, so that I didn't lose ground. I've never had a personal trainer, there is such a wealth of information online about how to structure an "at-home workout". Google also "functional fitness" and "bodyweight exercise". We don't need to be Mr or Mrs Universe! Good luck with your struggle, Joe.
5
The mental sharpness and expansion of breath during a twenty minute session with weights, and with a kettle bell , is a serotonin high that I love. The day goes better, sleep is better, I don't eat as much, and I feel great after. I didn't use a trainer, just some videos and putting my mindset back to high school and college athletics. At 72 My mantra is now " just some pain for the gain"
1
My personal trainer for weight training at a nearby gym did more to alleviate my aches, pain, neuropathy and mood than any other intervention. It took time and patience, but it was truly worth it if you have a truly experienced, patient trainer. (Thanks, Shana!). The pandemic has prevented me from returning, and my physical state has significantly deteriorated. If insurance covered this, the savings would be significant. But I’m not holding my breath. I will try again, when the coast is clear. Get vaccinated! Only you have the power to bring this pandemic under control!
5
@Norma Gauster Thanks, mom
2
I have a question. Can the under arm jiggle be abated or substantially disappear with tri-cep exercises? I'm 63 and thin, and I hate that about me.
6
@Pat
Yes.
3
CrossFit entered my life by way of a niece's recommendation. I was 70 and was having some difficulty picking up a bale of hay. My horse was getting hungry! I joined a class for 55 and over. I loved the class, loved the coaching and the companionship. Can't wait for the gym to completely re-open and I can get back to it.
2
I do a Pilates mat workout tape with 5 lb weights 5 mornings a week, at home.
At 74 I feel like I am in the best shape of my life. Adding weights tones and defines muscles. You don’t necessarily need a gym.
I feel like a 60 year old.
4
A set of resistance bands is inexpensive, takes up little space, and provide (me, at least, at 76) a surprising increase in muscle mass and strength. Bands have the additional benefit of making it easier to fine-tune exercise effort, making injury less likely. A half-step closer to or away from the attachment point of the band subtly adjusts the effort required and makes it easier to listen to what the body wants on any given day. Many Youtubes offer instructions for a full-body workout. As with any resistance training, form is important to prevent injury.
1
I have a wonderful personal trainer but there are many exercises I do which are not motivating, such as the bike, rower, sled and kettle bells. But weight lifting is another matter. To learn to lift correctly requires training and concentration of my mind and body. I receive immediate feed-back from my body if my technique is off and my trainer helps me correct it. And when I life correctly I can immediately feel it and it's a wonderful feeling. The precision of the movement and training to make it a fluid movement makes me feel accomplished and is very motivating.
2
At 85, I have given up on 50 years of weight lifting due to the local heat wave in Arizona and now do an evening work oout that involves doing a pushup, squat combination that works all of the muscles within 10 efforts. I will keep this up until I turn 90 and then will try something else.
4
About 10 or more years ago I joined a gym to do weight lifting and literally felt myself aging backwards. With the radical impact of Covid 19 I stopped the gym and exercise at home. The gym weights are more beneficial so I plan to add gym stuff to my home stuff.
7
NYT—Enough with the constant recycling of 2 and 3 year old articles! Especially on the ever-changing topic of health! Doesn’t our subscription fee entitle us to current news, not recycled stuff that’s not even updated! You don’t even do readers the courtesy of showing the publication date on the front page, in an apparent attempt to make readers think it’s today’s news. Honestly, I sometimes despair at how journalism standards at the NYT seem to sink to new lows every week.
9
@AnnieM I read it without noticing that it is an article from 2019, and I thought it was interesting. It's like my calculus book. It was published nearly 50 years ago and it now looks like it's been through every war that ever was. But, it's still useful and I still consult it on a regular basis.
Some topics don't have expiration dates.
15
@AnnieM
AS A NURSE my thought would be that it is always a good time to talk about how to create better health for self, family, others and friends.
My 80ish mom has been weight training at her beloved Curves gym for hundreds of years now and is in excellent health.
I have many older patients who have maintained their health, independence and wellbeing well into their 90s, who are beautiful resources for wisdom and joy to their loved ones and to me.
So I appreciate this article and the comments as well.
5
I am a 76 old woman and went on weight lifting regimen for over a year until COVID hit. I was devastated. A while back I decided to find an open gym and then the Delta variant hit. It is so hard for Americans to keep in shape right now.
4
@pb i would try facetime/zoom with a trainer or joint an online app for workouts. i use one that is comprehensive inc weight training, yoga and many other iterations. just google. many are much less $ than gyms and safe and you can use at your ease. yes, it takes maybe a bit more discipline but i will never return to a gym or in house class.
1
My husband and I are 70 and 69, respectively. During the lockdown we started working via FaceTime with a trainer three times a week, two sessions of 90 minutes and one of 60 minutes. Over the course of 18 months I've doubled the amount of weight that I can benchpress, sling with a kettlebell, and pull/stretch with bands affixed to the closet door. It is exhilarating at the end of middle age to feel myself getting stronger and to enjoy the sense of empowerment that goes with it. My app tells me that my build is "muscular"! My husband and I are so hooked on this routine that we brought the free weights and bands with us on vacation.
9
Today the county I live in had its fifth highest day EVER for COVID cases. Not going to a gym anytime soon.
4
If only it were safe to go to the gym again.
5
The study was about resistance training but the photo shows a free weight. Your visual staff needs to work more closely with your writers. Good communication means both visual and written teams work together. You shouldn’t assume that a reader will make that distinction. You are doing a disservice to your readers by confusing the issue.
5
@Colleen Callahan Sorry, but the use of free weights such as dumbbells and barbells are in fact considered resistance training.
Here the resistance is to gravity. To practice with a 4-pound dumbbell, you need to resist 4-pounds worth of gravity, multiple times. That is resistance training.
8
@Catherine
You say "Yes weight training is good for seniors but you need to know how to do it safely, and for many of us that is out of reach."
Actually for less than $30 you can find a book to help you learn how to use weights for resistance training so you can get stronger. Plus there is a lot of free information on the internet, YouTube videos, etc. So maybe one book on the specific exercises, and a second book which might include nutrition and the long-view, for seniors. Then you need to buy some weights, which are about $1 per pound. So you may need a 2, 5, 10, 15, and a 20. And that's basically all you need. So $70 on books and $70 on weights, including tax, and you don't have to buy the heavier weights until later when you are ready for them, you can spread the cost out. So I think learning how to do resistance training for yourself is affordable for many people at any age.
Some people, e.g. in prison, learn to use body weight as the resistance object, and they have inexpensive books on this.
If you have no cash to spare at all, you can just lift cans of beans, there's nothing embarrassing about that. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't grow up in gyms in Los Angeles; he grew up at home, and his dad ordered him and sibs to do push-ups, etc, before they ate meals of potatoes, vegetables and some protein.
Also, check out some YouTube videos on weight lifting for seniors. Then eat the beans with brown rice, good protein and fiber for you.
12
I was interested that there were a number who preferred other exercise. There is no indication of what that was. Cycling, for example, may suit others better and be better for all round fitness. A more rounded investigation might have included more types of keeping fit/ strong.
But how does one lift with many joint problems and arthritis? Other than “Carefully”?
1
@Christine Weight lifting in general reduces inflammation and strengthens ligaments, tendons and joints. I think done correctly, it would likely be beneficial. I would certainly ask a sports physician with direct experience in this area and look into it.
19
@Christine
your dr can send you to physical therapy to evaluate and build on your functional capacity
then a trainer can help you learn how to perform resistance exercises and develop a home practice
the idea is to start low and go slow, increasing as your strength increases, but without doing moves that cause joint pain, which is different from the muscle soreness you may feel the day after a new workout
best wishes!
2
@Christine Try a 6-week experiment. Eliminate all sugars, grains and seed oils. Additionally, as much as possible just eat 'real' food, i.e. food that's sold without a label. This is the way our species ate for tens of thousands of years. Even our earlier hominid ancestors ate this way. So this recommendation probably goes back a million years. I started this diet in Oct 2020 and the occasional arthritic pain I use to experience has not returned. My A1C also went from 6.6 to 5.3. A few weekly meals that include fermented foods wouldn't be a bad idea either. Hope this helps.
1
But...arthritis!
1
Perhaps congregate meal sites should consider exercise before the meals since they have the seniors already there and they would probably enjoy the group effort.
6
Ladies- check out a circuit strength training gym designed just for us- especially beginners- called Curves. I never thought I would want to get in a car and drive somewhere to workout with other people. And honestly my schedule was too chaotic for it in the past. But so much in my life is changing that now I relish the 20 minute drive there and back, and yes, I’m a super private introvert and never imagined going into a gym. But I’m realizing that strength training with the appropriate target heart rate is what I need the most right now. And I welcome the accountability of it after losing so much social connection in the pandemic. I will say that after my first workout a couple of days ago I felt so good afterward all day. I’m excited to keep going. I’m almost 49 and going to be an empty nester next year. It is time to really take care of myself so I can better enjoy my next chapter with my wonderful husband. Thanks to a great article about the benefits of strength training in the NYT a couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to take action.
5
@DS you’re off to a good start prepping for when you’re 79!
4
I still do squats, deadlifts, dips, barbell pullovers, snatch grip high pulls, incline curls and neutral grip pull ups every other day split into upper and lower body days at age 74. It feels good and I have maintained my strength.
11
OK. I don't want to go to a gym, or have any Personal interaction with a 'trainor'.
I have free-weights of up to 10 pounds at home, and would like to use them in my weitht-training at home.
Actually, I read some opinions that using machines is not as beneficial as free weight, since the latter includes the benefit of balancing feature...
I wish the article gave some links, or references to some exercised with free weighs? Or maybe I missed that, by just skimming the article
6
@Rachel
There are tons of videos on YouTube, you'll find a favorite teacher soon.
1
I’ve struggled with weight and fitness my entire adult life and at 40 began weight training. The hardest part was getting myself organized - researching and learning the exercises for safe and effective workouts. And that’s not so hard at all. The rewards have been immediate - improved strength, posture, sleep, confidence and motivation as well as a decrease in weight. I’d been so hard on myself for not being a spin star or a Pilates practitioner, kickboxer or Zumba master (or whatever other fitness craze) and adopted a really hopeless attitude about fitness. The back to basics and -it’s never too late to start- of weight training is a pleasure and good news for those of us aiming to feel good and strong long into the future.
14
I appreciate the NYT republishing this article since I was not a NYT subscriber in 2019. I began weight training when I was about 65yo. Being given free access to work out in the Indiana State University Rec Center (one of the fifty best college and university rec centers in the U.S.) and hiring a personal trainer to help me learn how to work out without hurting myself was highly beneficial. I am now 77yo and my PT says I am one of her strongest clients, including those younger than I. I LOVE working out. it sets off the endorphins in my brain, makes me much less likely to fall, and improves my bone density. Plus the positive comments and encouragement from ISU students make me feel good. :)
15
This is a 2 year old article? The author was so lazy in their research, too. Tuft's University back in the late 1980s studied this entire question of older adults and weight/resistance training. The results were supremely encouraging. We don't need to look to other countries - if we get off our butts and do a little poking around.
3
A gym is totally unnecessary--Go to Walmart --try out the 5---8---10 lb. hand weights right there in the store---buy the pair you are comfortable with and bango!!--you are now an at -home weight lifter!!
If you need guidance there's the internet!!
8
What is Keith Richards doing? I'll read that article.
6
He’s probably smoking.
2
This article crazily omits one word: Covid. As in, what senior on earth can go to a gym or has been able to for 18 months….and now. Unreal. Sort of misses the entire problem of the senior population.
5
@Kit Carson
No COVID mentioned because the article was written in 2019. Lol! Talk about old news!
I am certified trainer in several modalities and I wish these articles and studies would stop reinforcing the idea that you must lift EXTERNAL weights for weight training. The easiest and most convenient way to train is to use OUR BODY, which is a very effective weight.
Our arms, our legs are all weights. An average arm weighs about the same as a water melon. When we walk around or move we are carrying our own weight. Knowing how to use our torso and our limbs effectively can mean very safe but effective weight lifting.
Can't do pushups? Start by standing a foot or two away from a wall, and press away from it. Have you tried holding your core tight, then lift your leg sideway for quick kicks? That's not easy because your leg weigh a lot. The possibilities are endless.
The misleading emphasis that you must lift external weight only discourage people from weight lifting because many people simply don't like machines, dumbbells, or similar equipment. Rather than inspiring more to do so, you are only doing the opposite.
16
@HappyMinnow
Your perspective is enlightening - thank you!
6
My cell-phone case weighs 20 lbs. Does using it count toward exercise?
4
@Mr. Creosote har har har! Boomer humor!
Life is a gas eh?
1
I'm 60 and have been hitting the gym on/off since i was in my late 20s. I'm in better shape and more defined than I was at 30. I've received compliments that my body looks like I'm in my early 30s. I'll take the compliment... Now if only there could be a reversal of skin aging!
6
@Marky . Way to hang in there with weights. Try LEF ceramides and LEF collagen tablets for skin. I am 73 and I found my skin thickened and stopped drying out with these compounds and requiring so much moisturizer in the desert environment where I live.
@Richard what brand is this? Is it Life Extension?
I am a 76 year old male. I went to the Golds Gym in my neighborhood and ask the attendant which machine I should use to attract the young ladies. She pointed to the ATM machine. LOL
44
Something that may help you do weights: I carry a cell phone in the gym in my shorts and use ear buds with a blue tooth connection. I set my cell phone to Pandora (free) or Sirius (paid subscription) and type in "work out music." If you want you can also try pod casts, news shows, etc. It helps!
3
I'm 77 and until everything closed in March, 2020, I went to a PT location 2 times a week - post hand surgery and then post hip replacement. As part of the hand therapy, I had lifted some weights on a machine and liked it. Even though I didn't have to do them post hip surgery PT, I asked if I could continue and was approved to do so. Every time the weight seemed easy, I added 1-2 lb. After my prescribed sessions for hip surgery were completed, I continued at the facility and that included lifting weights. By the time March, 2020, rolled around, I was lifting 84 lb. 60 times, twice a week, and have never felt better in my life. I have some weights at home and use them sometimes, and started doing 40 deep knee bends last fall when I saw a recommendation for same in The NY Times. I want to continue to feel as good as I did, and when our local area feels safer, I'll return to a large facility again.
5
I have included weight training in my workouts since I was 16, I will be 70 next month. I usually do at least 7 different weight exercises every other day. Two exercises use body weight for the resistance, push ups and bar dips. Since the pandemic interrupted my ability to go to a gym, I've purchased several sets of dumbbells (5 to 25 pounds each), an exercise bench and a barbell with up to 100 pounds of weight. I also walk my Labrador retriever twice a day for an average of six miles a day. The old adage "use it or lose it" is very true. Two older relatives, with no exercise routine, started to use a walker before they were 70 and ended up nearly house bound soon after. I am determined to avoid that kind of outcome.
14
@Curmudgeon51 In my original post I should have also mentioned that being able to work out at home removes the time constraints of going to and from a gym. I tend to spread my workout over several hours, doing several sets of one exercise, then taking care of chores around the house before going on to the next exercise. At my age, I don't think I need the stress of a rapid set of different exercises.
2
@Curmudgeon51 "I tend to spread my workout over several hours, doing several sets of one exercise, then taking care of chores around the house before going on to the next exercise."
I do that, too!
I’m 62 and started regular weight training five years ago. I love it. All of the advantages mentioned in the article are true for me as well. I was expecting to merely stave off the inevitable loss that comes with aging, but I’m amazed at how much I’ve gained in strength as well as mobility. I’ve never felt better!
9
My father is in his early 70’s and my mother in her late 60’s. I started teaching them how to lift weights about a year and a half ago. They had never lifted free weights before. They bought an olympic weight set and power rack to build a home gym, and I started them on a 5x5 weight lifting routine. This includes a regimen of squats, deadlifts, bent over rows, flat & incline bench presses, dumbell flys, push presses, upright rows and barbell curls. Also hyperextensions to protect the back. My mother also does clean and press as she really likes the movement.
They have made absolutely remarkable progress. They look much younger and fitter, and their mobility and strength are now like any healthy adult. Just to give you an idea of how much progress they’ve made, my father is now doing 310 lb deadlifts and 220 lb squats. He could not even squat the bare bar when he started. My mother deadlifts 220 lb and squats 130 lb. They keep making progress and adding a little extra to the bar with every workout.
Only two things have been shown to reverse aging: 1) caloric restriction and 2) lifting weights. It’s never too late to start, so just do it.
My parents were at a flea market this morning, and found an old Marshall guitar amp that they new I’d like. They got it for a real bargain, and when my father came to take it out of the store, the owner offered to carry it for him as it was 70 lb in weight. My Dad said, “Thanks, but I can actually lift five of these in one go”.
26
Weight training can restore the imbalances in elderly muscle-skeleton configurations. One BIG issue is that elderly as well as many much younger have weak rhomboids and weak trapeziues muscles which contributes them to be hunched over. One must work them with weights or bands because modern life does not. Also the rotator cuff muscles located on the back of the shoulder blade muscles tend to be weak from chronic non-use. All these muscles pull the front frame backwards into alignment as well as mitigate shoulder issues cause by chronic misconfiguration. There are 21 muscles connected to the shoulder blade, some weaker than their opposers and some longer and some shorter than 'original'. So a targeted and prudent workout regime can somewhat restore a skeletons configuration back to something that prevents other degradation in joints pulled into dysfunctional postures. I'm 69 and this is a benefit not detailed in the article.
13
Every week I read in the Times what my junior high school gym teachers told me more than 50 years ago.
10
@Jim Are you doing what your gym teachers recommended 50 years ago? :)))). This is the issue for me---that so many of us KNOW what to do (i.e.diet, exercise) but don't do it. Just kidding, my note is really to myself. I really like hearing these stories---they motivate me. I'm going back to incorporate weights into my workouts.
4
I'm 65, and after semi-retiring this year while I get my child through high school and into college, I became determined to increase my exercise and fitness rate.
I am very lucky, I think, in having discovered 'Power of Ten' weight-lifting five or six years ago. Its appeal: it takes almost no time. But it had nonetheless helped me to maintain a modicum of physical vigor and--more important--a little bit of male shape over time.
What I have done: started doing it daily, sometimes twice-daily while I am engaged at home, instead of twice-weekly as I once did. It takes all of three minutes. But I have altered my shape and appearance, and it has given me a confidence boost at a time of transition, when I needed it.
I believe that early exposure might also be investigated as a spur to later exercise confidence.
7
The photo opening this article shows someone "lifting" a 1 kg weight.
My largest cat weighs three times that -- and I lift
him fifty or sixty times every day. I also regularly lift 20-lb jugs of kitty litter, push-mow the lawn, and -- from late autumn through late spring -- shovel tons of snow from my driveway and path to the front door. My vacuum cleaner is maybe 4 or 5 times heavier than that weensy barbell. I don't have a cooking pot that doesn't weigh way more than 1 kg.
I'm 83. Strong and sharp.
18
@Rea Tarr
I am also an 83 years old woman, am slim and healthy, go up and down the stairs in my house and to where my car is parked many times daily, carry laundry up and down stairs, go to the gym where I take classes, use the machines, and so on. I can chalk it all up to good genetics, but lifestyle and diet play a huge part in staying fit. Still fit into my jeans and tees and love to dance.
7
I’d like to see recommendations and weight lifting advice for older people with rheumatoid arthritis. I was advised against weight lifting by my rheumatologist to avoid joint flare ups. Consequently, I’m clearly losing muscle mass.
8
@KMac
A gentle reminder that articles like these are not to tailor advice for specific medical conditions. You should seek out a physical therapist or personal trainer who can form a resistance training plan based on your tolerance and specific needs.
I'd also advise you to do some of your own research, and question your physician, as resistance training has been shown to be safe and effect in individuals with RA.
You might need modifications based on your specific medical history, which is why you should seek professional guidance.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14770099/
3
I wish the results were broken down by sex. It is not surprising that the people who gained confidence kept going to the gym. I wonder if more women would continue weight training, which is very good for bone strength, if trainers would encourage confidence as well as teach technique. Gyms can be very intimidating environments for all kinds of people but, I think, especially for women.
12
I got news for you. If people did not use weights when they were younger they certainly will not use them when they are older.
Gym equipment like weights are the number one item bought by people/households that are never used according to one study.
Anything gained is just not worth the supreme effort and time and money you have to put into it.
If you are into it, more power to you, but there are countless other non demanding exercises that one can do to stay in shape especially seniors.
4
@Paul
I got news too. I started weight training at 70yo when I retired. Within a year I lost 45lbs and gained serious muscle mass and endurance. I also improved my nutrition. I never lifted weights or trained. Now I can backpack for days at high altitude and enjoy our beautiful mountain wildernesses or swim and snorkel for hours.
35
@Paul,Athough I have worked out at gy on and off before, I started Super Slow Weight Training at age 72, first with a trainer ($$$) and then on my own at the gym using (30-45 minutes) sessions based on "Power of 10" book. I'm now 74, go 2X/week and am very fit. I enjoy the sessions.
9
I started lifting at 45. Before that I purposely avoided it. Nearly 30 years later I still lift albeit there have some gaps. It can be boring so I try to mix up the routines. It is also secondary to some form of cardio exercise like swimming or cycling.
2
Muscle mass loss, loss of strength and power, are serious problems for older adults, setting in around 45, massively worsening after 60 and inevitable by 70. The result is incapacity -- inability to go on anything but the shortest, easiest walks, stairs becoming a challenge, the risk of falling rising exponentially, bone thinning and weakening, right to the stage where getting up from a chair or opening a new jar of pickles is too much. As incapacity increases, motivation to do anything physical decreases creating a vicious circle of decrepitude. Resistance training coupled with some form of aerobic exercise (preferably one that is easy on aging joints such as swimming, cycling or brisk walking) slows, even arrests - and to some degree can reverse - muscle wastage, weakness and advancing frailty. The quality of life gain is extraordinary. People who are exercising can do so much more, enjoy life so much more and be so much more independent. Moreover, resistance and aerobic exercise stimulate neuron growth and activity, sharpening cognitive ability, improving mood and, to some degree, preventing dementia. They're also essential to prevent heart attack and stroke & help control blood sugar and weight gain. All this has been known for decades.
20
Strongly (!) recommend "The Barbell Prescription" as a great introduction to full-body exercises like squat and deadlift. These are far more important than single-joint movements like dumbell curls depicted in the article. My observation is that most trainers are not actually prepared to teach these types of exercises.
5
@KBD: As a competitive 74-year old powerlifter, I agree with you about the mentioned exercises. However, as you know, you can't build ligaments or tendons, and those are what tend to break in older lifters. Great care needs to be exercised (pun intended) to protect knees and lower back in senior lifters. A good place to utilize machines.
7
@Alan Dean Foster Actually (and I’m a PhD in medical school) you absolutely can build ligaments and tendons. These are, in fact, the critical tissues built during strength training with heavy weights (low reps, heavy weight). A lot of time people will hurt themselves lifting weights as they pile on heavy weight too quickly, or never do any heavy weight training at all. Muscle grows more quickly than the connective tissue in ligaments and tendons, so you have to give it time to develop. And you develop it by lifting heavy and progressively increasing weight.
7
People who found they enjoyed lifting weights went to a different gym to continue an activity they enjoyed. Amazing result.
7
I stopped going to the gym in March 2020 because of covid. I joined the new YMCA in my town in June this year and I am back to an hour’s workout every other day. I feel so much better knowing I am doing something good for myself. I feel better and sleep better at night. I do not lift weights, just use the various machines. It is the best hour of my day.
8
@Lyndsey Marie
If you're "using the various machines," then you are lifting weights. Unless, of course, all you do is just sit/stand there and don't move anything.
2
@Rea Tarr
She could be talking about cardio machines such as an elliptical or treadmill.
At the age of 77, I have been weight training for the last 50 years. It is not a scientific evaluation, but a random view of people I see in my age group, tells me that very few bother to do anything. It is a shame that many do not know the joy of weight training and the confidence it can bring.
It is true that Americans, by and large, are not as active as most people in Finland and this lethargy has shown up in the statistic that as many as 40% of our adult population are overweight or obese.
We, as a country, are on our way to have many of us see a miserable old age.
14
I am mid 70s and do calisthenics, light weights and swim 1/2 to a mile almost daily. 40 push ups a morning. I have not lost muscle mass and have actually gained bulk in my shoulder girdle. I have done this for decades. Physical deterioration is from lack of use. I swim open water with four other 70s year olds who think nothing of a 1/2 mile or more swim. Two are women whom I trail behind.
18
How about as a followup to this article we talk about the impact of estrogen (or the lack thereof) on muscle growth for post-menopausal women? Let’s also address the need for protein in the diet.
12
You don't need a gym obviously. I'm 67 and have been doing 105 push ups every morning for years. I don't like doing it. It's not pleasant but the payback in terms of being able to more easily do household chores and yard work is undeniable.
13
The strength work out at the end of the article is obviously not for older adults…seriously. I had trouble doing push-ups in my 20’s, yet that’s the first exercise?
Disappointed to say the least.
4
@Nina B there’s a simpler version.
2
@Nina B
Do wall push ups.
6
"Weight training by older people may build not only strength and muscle mass"
I thought when you were old you no longer had the hormones to build muscle.
@G.S.: After five years on chemo (prostate cancer) I have virtually no testosterone. Yet I still retain muscle mass (albeit less) and strength (albeit less). I'm 74. If I can do weight training with no T, you can surely do it with it.
12
@G.S. Not so.
1
@Alan Dean Foster
Retaining is not the same as building it.
1
I'm 68, and have been exercising all my life (well, since my early teens, anyway). I have three routines a day- 20 minutes of isometrics, isotonics and calisthenics early AM, a 2 mile speedwalk (4 mph) mid-morning, and every afternoon at the gym. I was doing cardio (elliptical) at 60 percent of max for 30 minutes daily along with my 100 pushups, then decided to switch to the strength machines on MWF. The fear of sarcopenia. It's made a difference. I still do my pushups (creature of habit- I did them religiously when I boxed), but the extra resistance helps. And I'm a small-framed guy who never liked lifting weights.
6
A few weeks after I finally sent off to press a book that had taken every moment for several ultra-sedentary years, I happened to see my shadow against a wall while walking to work, and didn't recognize it. I seemed to be an older woman with rounded shoulders, bent slightly over--as if I were peering at a computer screen. Yikes!
That was 7 years ago; I've been doing weight lifting with a personal trainer twice a week in the interim. I now stand straight and my balance has improved greatly.
I will never be a gym rat, but at least I got my shadow back. I am 70. Weight training is not an instant fix, but over time it really does increase strength and stamina.
45
I am a 75 year old woman. People always assume that I am a decade younger in spite of my white hair. I work out at the"Y" 3 times a week with 40 minutes of cardio, an hour of weight training on machines and stretching. It has served me well. While friends are having debilitating aches and pains, taking prescription drugs and having joint replacements, I have no prescribed meds, strong joints and I can do almost anything I could do at 45-55 years of age. Also burning those calories allows me to enjoy guilt free meals. As someone else on this post said "Life is Good".
61
@T. Wallace How on earth can you be going to the Y during a pandemic?
@Kit Carson
Most gyms have re-opened with mask requirements.
3
After a right knee replacement a year ago, I was no longer able to run, so I took up strength training. I’m 69 and weight training 3X weekly using 10 pound dumbbells for an 18 minute routine. On alternate days I do ab exercises for 35 minutes and use on line videos for both. I now have some toned biceps and a 4 pack working on 6 pack abs.
18
I'm 82 yo female with hip replacements, shoulder replacement from years of triathlons and marathons and just moved to a new city to be closer to family. I joined "Y" gym for socializing and exercise and go 3 mornings a week. I've never used weights before but a trainer friend gave me valuable coaching on how to use weights. What to focus on made all the difference. I finish my 2 hours at gym with a Tai Chi class. Life is good!
28
For this older woman, it was all about discovering Peloton. For the first time in my life, I lift weights four days a week - with no need for the hassle of a gym.
17
I have lifted vigorously and regularly for four decades, and have experienced relatively little diminution in strength in that time. I often encounter much younger and stronger looking men at the gym who can't do what I can on the machines.
I think that the received wisdom that aging per se necessarily engenders a significant strength decline is specious, and studies should focus on that. To "use it or lose it" should be added "use it and you won't lose it."
23
I can believe that both running and weight training could certainly benefit anyone no matter what age they are. For me it is frustrating because I’m limited by joint problems and spinal stenosis. I’m still trying to figure out the best exercise regimen without
putting undo stress on my back and joints.
8
@Kathy Frisbie Try swimming
9
@Kathy Frisbie water aerobics. Most classes use weights in the water too!
6
@Kathy Frisbie
I, too, have stenosis and lumbar/disk problems. I do body lifts using a walker (lift my body with my arms). It has helped immensely. I started that 7 years ago out of frustration at being immobilized for 43 days. My back felt better the very next day.
Running is too hard on the joints; I walk between 3 and 6 miles every day, and spend half-an-hour every day weight lifting with 8 lb. dumbbells or 20 lb. resistance bands.
4
Very grateful to all who have shared their enthusiasm for maintaining strength through the decades. At almost 60, I can run a 5k comfortably, do yoga, and take a functional fitness class in my community (mix of light aerobic, resistance band and hand weights). From the article and commenters, it sounds like I should be aiming higher, which I am happy to do.
One suggestion for the NYT staff who put together the How To guide for starting a weightlifting program--include people of all ages (ie older ages) in the example videos. It would be more inspiring to see a few older (50+) toned/fit people doing the activities rather than just those who look like they do CrossFit all day.:) Thanks!
49
@Louise
So very true. One thing is seeing young and full of enery people exercising ( and that actually might trigger a debilitating longing for the lost youth) than seeing “a mirror”: older inspiring people who exercise.
3
@Louise The great thing about CrossFit is that it doesn't take all day! Only an hour class, 4-5 days a week got me strong and physically fit. I've transitioned to a home gym and I'm keeping it up, I hit a 90lb strict press last week and 10 @ 95lbs on my bench press. I'm a slightly built, nearly 50 y.o. woman and I'm still crushing it.
Visit any Dr for a 15min check up and you get a bill $200-$500 even worse if something hurts. Too many Drs are unfit and treat symptoms - nothing really preventive. If they knew what they were doing - being healthy - they would be as fit as most personal trainers.
My last Dr was going to talk to me about my borderline BMI and benefits of exercise but skipped it - he was at least 5 more than me. Laughable.
They hardly become your “personal Dr.” They see 4-5 clients almost simultaneously- in another rooms. Most are terrible pretenders - their body language says “are we done yet? I’ve more checks to cash”
It’s much cheaper to have an expensive gym membership and a solid personal trainer than an average Dr. you see once a year or when you are hurt. Their purpose are worlds apart. Get Strong, Lean and Healthy- you won’t need to see a Dr.
20
@KEVIN,
Unfortunately, the whole system functions in a way that works against people who are physically fit. Medical organizations operate on razor thin margins, reimbursements are shockingly low and the healthcare industry can't be properly financed (which would require huge sums of additional money) when 70% of the population is overweight/obese + doesn't exercise, therefore necessitating huge, unnecessary, medical expenditures. Lack of financing means doctors are given 15 minutes per patient (or they get dinged by the finance group and managers trying to keep the hospital in the black.) Result - doctors are often unable to look at patients as individuals. Instead, they're forced into snap analysis, comparing you to the "average person" so they can finish with you and move onto the next billing opportunity.
Increasingly, I've taken to proactively doing my own blood tests ($45 on line at Labcorp, through an on-line ordering company) just to make sure nothing's seriously wrong rather than waiting for something to happen and then have someone tell me my CRP is normal when it's actually abnormally low in the first place, due to exercising, and has actually risen 8-fold, meaning something bad is happening and needs to be addressed.
4
@KEVIN agreed. It leads me to a lack of trust in doctors. I would be 100% in if my doctor's visit include referrals to: nutritionists, physical therapists and exercise specialists/trainers. Instead, I feel like the response is always along the lines of "take this medicine". I was laughed at last time I asked for a referral to a nutritionist. Am I crazy for wanting to be healthy and proactive?
12
@Paul B
It seems to me that providers who are salaried and working for organizations focused on patient satisfaction would offer best outcomes.
https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/news/news-stories/2017/may/pay-physicians-salaries.html
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/economics/how-physicians-get-paid-see-where-you-fit
Good principles in this article, but you don't need a gym or fancy weights to maintain upper-body strength. I used to do pushups as a regular exercise, but I hate that exercise. Muscle strength and tissue development comes from loading and then relaxing the muscle . You can do that in your ordinary course of life: Carry things, such as a grocery bag (with loops), at an arm's length as long as you can. Then relax and repeat after a while.
5
At 63, I found Crossfit - high intensity aerobics combined with weight lifting. I had been going to a gym since Gloria Stevens in the 70's. I always was bored beyond endurance and forced myself to go. All that changed once I started Crossfit. The challenges, the stamina, the encouragement of the other participants, the outstanding supervision and teaching by the coaches - all this combined to make me a devoted Crossfit athlete. I am now 67 and just finished a five week competition. I am so proud of my achievements - back squatting 120 pounds, amazing flexibility and endurance that never quits. Every Crossfit gym has a free Saturday class and everything done can be modified to your ability.
10
What about exercise and strength training for our hands? There don’t seem to be hand therapists or trainers in my area.
4
@Terry Becker
Go to the local music store and get 2 guitarist’s finger-strengthening exercise tools.
https://prohands.net
3
One thing I find challenging is getting the proper advice and training for my age. I’ll be 63 soon and I’ve lived an active life going to the gym periodically with long breaks (years). I’ve been going several times a week for three years and my strength, balance, pulmonary function have all increased. I always do cardio first since I believe that’s key. So 30-40 minutes on the elliptical mixed in with the other standard machines. I then hit the free weights and machines for another hour or more. I’d like to go everyday but usually I’m not ready physically, so every other day is my routine. But more needs to be written on exercises, diet, frequency, etc. Most advice out there doesn’t seem geared for more senior people and I would think a growing market for trainers.
15
@theother1
I think you have the gym thing down very well and that's great. I was a member of a free Meetup club called Gym Buddies. The premise was that we would find a person that used the same gym and we would go together. We would help each other with the exercises and be accountable to a schedule. Well, the thing flopped badly! Even the organizer didn't show up for her meetup. Makes me think people just don't want to do this. No excuses, just don't want to.
2
I think scheduling something like that might be part of the issue. It’s difficult to be a regular at a specific time to go to the gym. Time frames like early or late morning are better. My gym has trainers and though helpful in a general sense, it would be beneficial to have someone more knowledgeable about the physique and needs of seniors. I’ve asked about this and they’re listening but no trainer has emerged as of yet. I train as if I’m a forty something year old and so far no issues other than the usual aches and pains associated with a good workout. I did develop plantar fasciitis in one foot so am watching impact exercises that might further irritate it.
7
I saw this today almost answering my questions about the need for trainers more in tune with older adults’ training needs:
https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/forget-the-hotshot-trainer-with-the-six-pack-boomers-want-mature-fitness-coaches-11554557400
3
This is a great set of comments from folks using weights, particularly the older ones. Not something you normally see and it's been enjoyable to read.
I'd offer one word of caution to people as they (like me, I'm in my sixties) get older. At a certain point, exercise (I do both weights and cardio) has the ability to make your system less vulnerable to sickness and disease (which is good), but also to make your symptoms seem "un-serious." Therefore, getting diagnosed with a given condition may be problematic. Or you may be diagnosed with something you don't have. Many years ago I was told I had COPD. Turns out my lung volume (and other stats like air blown out, speed I can do that, etc.) are 50% greater than the average for my age. Not a big deal but it complicated some other things going on.
High fitness levels may also mean that medications are far more potent than normal, which may be a good thing unless you're taking a drug you really don't want to do in excess. Low inflammatory load, for instance, may amplify the effects of a med (my inflammatory load is 1/20 the average for the group of people for a condition I have, and nobody knew that. Too much time on the stepper, bicycling, etc., I guess.) Know your numbers, research the meds you're on and make sure docs recognize what's going on with your specific body, not how it stacks up with the average body. (FYI, the organization I've been dealing with is a top 10 hospital.)
5
Wonderful and important information. One can build muscle even as we age. Muscle also acts like a sponge soaking up fat. Clearly builds confidence when one uses free weights, nautilus machines, the strength is both mental and physical. Think of how straight, self assured posture can improve helping prevent falls, with added strength training one develops a stronger sense of self. Also, if one stretches, develops more arm strength, just to lift arm over head to open a higher shelf to find an item in a kitchen cabinet is a game changer. I am enjoying reading comments from those who understand the power of strength training to change one's life. You are never to old to make powerful changes. Bravo and brava to all!
12
I'm 64 and have a knee with some severe stability problems caused by a childhood accident. I wear a brace most of the day. About two years ago, I started noticing that I was losing stability. I had also been having trouble with borderline high triglyceride levels, for which I was watching my diet. After a fall in October 2017, I decided to go to a local gym and hire a trainer twice a week. I really didn't know what we would be working on. He started me doing a warmup on a stationary bike, then about an hour of weights on about 14 machines, plus some free weights. Although I tried squats, I can't really do them because of the knee problem. After about a year, I gave up the trainer sessions because of the cost, but I started going on my own three times a week. After a brief slack period, I have been really into the weight training. I do the bicycle warm up and cool down, but I honestly don't like it, and couldn't keep it up without listen to music on my iphone. I haven't found anything that makes me feel better than my weight training sessions. I have lost fat and gained muscle, and I was even able to get off some medication. I recommend the gym to everyone, but so few people take my advice. They don't seem to understand how much the exercises are actually pleasurable and sharpen focus.
26
Who edited this article? When you say “almost half,” I do not expect to see “30 percent,” which, BTW, is really not as inspiring a number as the editor thinks it is. If I had seen “almost half” and the number had been perhaps 47 percent, I would’ve been more intrigued.
@UES They estimated 30% would continue. Study showed 46% actually continued...
14
I have seen it mentioned here, but Starting Strength and Barbell Medicine MUST be discussed as part of this article.
To stop and even reverse muscle mass, one must do progressive strength and resistance training at heavy loads. Gyms have all sorts of fancy stuff, but the ONLY things one needs to do is: squat, bench press, overhead press and deadlift. Maybe some chin-ups and interval rowing/cycling, but these 4 exercises are the keys to health.
I’m fact, there are great online trainers (Starting Strength Online, Kabuki Strength, Barbell Medicine to name a few) who will work with anyone to make themselves more bulletproof to injury and strong.
So, ditch the gym, buy a squat rack and some weights, and take back your life.
10
@Bob Lob
You have the basics semi-right, but not the whole. You have built a foundation but have no walls, and or ceilings. Yes squatting is crucial, but like all the other movements you listed its a linear move. A movement on a plane that is limiting and somewhat non-functional. And too much of them builds-in inflexibility, and limits range of movement.
Flexibility is key to aging healthy and safely. So if all you do is movements on a plane, sagittal in the case of the squat, you are limiting the clients full range of movement. Look at old-school body-builders who work strictly on the planes, and have limited flexibility and ROM's.
Also,its crucial to cross the planes, to improve coordination and ones ability to adapt to real world circumstances. No one - in real life - moves solely in the planes of the exercises you mentioned. Rather we cross planes - such as being on the knees and reaching across the body in awkward positions to loosen a valve under a sink. You can squat and press to your hearts content, but those will not prepare you for that task.
And when dealing with an elderly, untrained client, your basic movements could be severely contraindicated. As the overhead press is often the case. Due to peoples often ignored shoulder injuries and impingement's. People don't know to keep the palms facing in, to the head, in the press to prevent rotation issues from being worsened. The traditional press, palms facing forward, shoulder joint open is dangerous! Period!
14
@Boregard Disagree. "Look at old-school body-builders who work strictly on the planes, and have limited flexibility and ROM's. " Oh really? Old-school bodybuilders, who trained with barbells and often had a background in Olympic weightlifting, were great athletes. The idea that being "muscle-bound" limits your flexibility is mostly a myth. You know what requires flexibility? Doing a proper squat. You know how to build that flexibility? Squatting.
Who is going to be better at exerting force in an awkward position, someone who squats 300, or someone who only squats 100 because he's wasted his gym time stretching, worrying about "impingement," and trying to move in multiple planes?
I do agree that older people with injuries and limitations should get good coaching on how to do the movements. Starting Strength coaches are well-trained for that.
6
Im all in with this. All in. But as a former personal trainer, with over 300 mixed age clients in my tenure...older, non-active, or those with little to no experience with resistance training need close supervision.
And can we stop calling it weight training, but rather resistance training!? As the term "weights" is wholly intimidating to non-users.
Anyway. Older clients interested in resistance training need one thing most of all. Education! In what is a resistance exercise, are effective exercises, and especially proper form. I've seen way too many older exercisers, especially older males, misusing weights, machines or other resistance devices. I see them out walking with hand-weights doing nothing but sloppy bicep curls and/or risky overhead presses. Often compounded by bad form squats or lunges when they are capable of such movement.
Many came to me after some prescribed physical therapy, worse then before - because PT's are woefully inept at building strength in their clients, as they are generally focused on Range of Motion. Which is needed, but ROM is most often effected by general lack of strength! A client cant do an unweighted, air squat, not because of muscle tightness or inflexibility, but they cant support their own weight as they move thru the motion. They need to get stronger, not looser.
Properly prescribed resistance training gives the older client better balance/control, and when the need arises, the strength to get down/up from the ground.
19
@Boregard I’d love to see YOUR video showing how to properly do biceps curls, overhead lifts & other (weight) resistance exercises you’d recommend …
I was hurting really bad when I turned 50. I like to golf, and found it increasingly difficult to do so. Diddn't have time to go to a gym, so I started out with a set of dumb bells and a full body work out regimen. I work out in my den. I graduated to free weight with a bar bell and still lift 3 x a week to this day. I'm not 100% pain free, but I feel a lot better than I would have been otherwise. I turn 65 this year and, hopefully, can keep it up. No blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes meds. If you don't do resistance training---start. I don't jog---too much stress on the joints. But, a complex regimen of 7 compound exercises gives yu all the cardio you'll need with the strength benefits.
14
@Ben
The golf swing, like the baseball pitching movement is not natural. The golf swing is severely rotational and puts all sorts of stresses on the body, in ways that make the body resist. So the athlete ends up with spasms, pulls and dislocations.
The golf swing twists the body in ways it wants to resist, but you keep doing it, and then incorporating "stretches" to counter the body's natural resistance to the movement. Thereby exacerbating the problems and injuries.
Plus few golfers focus on the hips, and the core, and how they power rotation. Mostly focusing on the upper body, over working the back, and shoulders, because too many golfers think all their strength in the swing is there.
Get those glutes strong, and loose. Strong legs too. Dont stretch spasming muscles, as its forces them to spasm more. And learn how to rotate the body from the feet up thru the torso in a fluid motion and you might get back on the links.
Don't jog, but do sprint! Lessen the bouncing, and move the joints in the manner they evolved to move!
The normal jogging "bounce" of most people is not a normal movement! When will you ever move like that in real life? But sprinting and fast walking where you are reaching to grasp the ground with foot/leg combo...that's natural!
3
Traditional weight lifting at the gym or my home gym didn’t work for me. But BodyPump by Les Mills at my local Y has done a 180 on my attitude re weight lifting. It’s become an unexpected and wonderful new discovery in my life.
5
I had never lifted weights when I first started training at the local Y six years ago, shortly after the birth of my first son at the age of 42. Just walking into the weight room was intimidating, but I soon found out that the folks at the Ridgewood location in Queens were extremely helpful—that while in fact you can purchase sessions in addition to the cost of your membership, you can also ask questions about machine and weight use and other training tips to the knowledgeable staff supervising the floor and to the other members. Additionally, public employees receive a 15% discount on the cost of their membership. Whatever financial or social approach is comfortable for you, you should know that the principles of weight lifting are the same as they are for any exercise you do. Start slow, focus on resistance rather than strain, and most importantly, listen to your body—your body will always tell you what it can stand. You might not get the most out of your routine at first, but if you approach your training experience with an open mind, you will soon be an expert on what’s best for you, and your body and mind—not to mention your relatives and other loved ones—will appreciate the effects of your expertise.
7
@Josidalgo Martinez I'm glad the people of Ridgewood are enjoying that Y. My wife and I signed up at the initial membership drive in 2007 or 2008, and when we left NY in 2010, that Y still hadn't opened. We did enjoy the free pass to the other Ys they gave us and regularly visited the 14th St location. I loved the NYC Ys!
3
I am 73 YO. Our son got me into lifting about 2 years ago, and Salisa, my 67 YO wife, into it last year. It has done both of us a lot of good. Salisa's posture and self confidence are both much improved. Heavy-duty gardening that used to hurt my back, I can do it all day. I can really make the dirt fly!
We do squats, deadlifts and bench presses mostly. We both do other things, too. Salisa goes through a stretch routine every morning. I swim a couple miles a week to break up the stiffness that comes from just working with weights.
If all you do is lift weights it can turn you into a kind of Frankenstein-clumping stiffnik who looks like a fool on a dance floor. Do something to stay loose and fluid - yoga, capoeire, swimming, martial arts, whatever.
21
Just a quick note to thank you all for the inspiration in this article and from interesting commenters of all ages!
18
I’m 64 and lift weights twice a week. I try to do aerobics three other days. Its been a year now with weights. I have never felt better. Lifting is a form of meditation for me.
14
@Patrick Same age, bit different routine. Been doing it for 6 years now. Feels great. Planet Fitness, BTW, may be crowded but cannot beat 10 bucks a month and I can always go later when it is less crowded.
5
Someone mentioned using your own weight through yoga or pilates (planks, etc.), which is great. But as someone who's not a fan of weight machines or dumb-bells or going to my overcrowded/loud gym, I'd also like to mention resistance bands (with or without handles). These are cheap, can often be found at arger drug stores or sporting goods stores, and can be used in one's own home. There are plenty of easy routines online. Clear a place on the carpet or get a yoga mat, turn on the TV or music, and make it a daily habit. I find stretching bands so much more satisfying and less injurious than actual weights and they'll have the same resistance effect.
30
As a (somewhat) younger person, I’m so glad that my mom has gotten into lifting. I only wish that the rest of my older relatives would follow suit. Watching parents age is frightening, it feels good to know that they are doing what they can to stay spry.
13
@Mel Jones I couldn't agree more. I love lifting and have done it now for about 20 years, starting when I was about 30. I wish more older women would get into it, even just a couple of times a week. It would do my mom a world of good, but I can't get her away from so many preconceived perceptions.
4
@Mel Jones Watching parents age is terrifying for me.
I have tried everything to get my parents to even move.
Their diet is unbelievably poor. I have tried everything to change their habits, including a live in healthcare provider but to no avail. I'm totally dedicated to exercise & diet. I feel like my parents are already gone.
9
Another benefit of weightlifting is that it builds bone density; protecting against osteoporosis.
30
The cool thing about weight training and that it only takes about ten trips to the gym before you start seeing the results.
It dawns on you that you really can change the way you look and feel. That's a real high, and the benefit continues for pretty much as long as you do it. It's a wonderful confidence booster, for women as much as for men.
After awhile, and not very long, you start noticing that things that used to give you trouble (perhaps opening jars or going up stairs) are getting easier.
And finally, a good, but not excessive, workout will leave you feeling pleasantly tired and achy. Overdo it and you will suffer, but you will progress faster towards your goal of competing in the Mr. Universe competition.
So, it's easy to see why people continue with weights once they start. It's very beneficial, feels good, and shows results quickly.
But, for God's sake, be careful. You can ruin yourself if you don't do it right. Get somebody who is knowledgeable to watch you at first, pay attention to form, and never even try to lift more than you know you can handle.
15
I think a lot of people who don't like to "exercise" would actually enjoy weight/resistance training if they tried it. I don't like doing aerobic exercise just as a chore (although I can enjoy walking, etc. if I'm doing it as an activity for other reasons like being in nature). But when I do resistance/weight training, I really enjoy it. My body also responds to it very well, which creates a reward to keep doing it.
I think most people prefer a certain type of exercise, and starting with what you prefer can help you also do the type of exercise that feels more like a chore -- the competence that this article mentions is part of that. As the saying goes, "The best exercise is the one you do."
13
I continue to wonder why articles like this always neglect to even mention "The Barbell Prescription," by Jonathon Sullivan, MD, PhD. It is a large book, rigorously researched, that makes a knock-down case for the many benefits of weight training by seniors. If you're interested in this topic, by all means check out Sullivan's book. It is a masterpiece. Also check his videos at greysteel.org.
13
Sometime around 55 I inventoried my body to find no chest, flabby arms, a big stomach, and a general sense of regret. My heart sank when I calculated my BMI and the tool declared I was “obese. There was a time this young paratrooper could seemingly run all day.
I returned to weightlifting and running, all slowly at first, to arrive where I am today — to my amazement. At 62, I bench press 200 lbs, deadlift a bit less, manage consistent pull-ups, and follow a self-styled regimen of 15 exercises, 8-10 reps each, for 3-4 sets depending on time. By set two, my muscles feel great, hard, alive ... and I’m young again, if only for a few minutes.
Do it. Please. You can. Be strong. My hope is to die healthy, and I wish as much for you.
49
@Forrest Davis
Kudos. But to you and many others, the BMI is an absurd metric. Its only a quality metric when the patient is clearly out of shape.
I just had my BMI measured, on an employer's yearly health bus session and once again Im borderline moderate risk. Yet Im 56, lean, muscled and fit, and flexible...more then most of the much younger people I work with. I exercise everyday, can climb over any obstacle, pull my weight, push my weight, get down and crawl around with no issues, etc, etc....but my weight and height makes me borderline normal to overweight. 24.7. I'm not in any way nearly overweight for my height and weight. Im all muscle, seriously.
Its just an absurd metric. Only useful for the obviously unfit and overweight. Body builders, and the heavily muscled typically have poor BMI's, but it in no way is an indicator of their actual health.
3
I'm a distance runner so I hate lifting weights, but it's a necessary evil, so I do it a couple of times a week, at home.
3
Old folks, young folks, all folks we are all animals. Our bodies are meant for the task of living- hunting our prey and other strenuous activities.
We live in a society that does not place those demands upon us so when we can simulate some of those demanding activities our bodies respond well... that’s what they were built for.
None of this should come as any surprise nor do we need any studies to show.
8
As a writer/artist, I spend a lot of my time pursuing activities that feel intangible roughly 75% of the time. Weights are quantified, right there in front of you, and clear as a bell. If you can barely curl 15 pounds one month, and can easily curl 25 two months later, it is obvious and encouraging. It keeps you going. It’s not just about divestiture. You’ve got new muscles!
Most of life is gray, and especially as people age, it can be lonelier and scarier than before, so: Lift weights! Exercise for the feeling, for the sense of tangible accomplishment.
It feels good, and I think that’s a big part of why it’s so good for you.
53
@Tom Bell- This is a delightful and accurate summary. Thank you, Tom!
12
I am a 66-year-old woman and I swim, cycle and walk for aerobic exercise. Rather than go to the gym to lift weights I do a twice weekly home regimen of mostly body weight exercises (with some added weight) that includes 50 plank pushups (from my toes, in sets), 50 squats with added weight, 100 static lunges with added weight, and a straight plank held for two minutes. This keeps me feeling strong and spry and I really feel that the aerobic exercise alone would not be enough. Some days I really have to bite the bullet to get myself to do these exercises, but it is always worth it and I plan to continue with it until I die!
23
Hmmmmm, now that I am no longer one of the “older people”, having just turned 75, I wonder how I’ll be labeled now? Oh, that’s right, all research stops at 75. No benchmarks for us beyond-older folk, even though 85 is now the new 75! I started consistently exercising after retiring at 65. I’ve even started calling myself fit. Thanks to my work with hand weights (5, 10, 15 lbs) I can now lift my husband’s and my carry-on luggage into the overhead bins when we fly; schlogg 25 lb bags of birdseed and equally heavy propane canisters up the stairs to our deck. And in my class I’m continually challenged and inspired by mid-80 to 90 year-old women who, 3 times every week, encourage me to do more reps and wider ranges of motion with those weights. I feel those endorphins flowing and leave class knowing it’s going to be a very good day!
41
@Nansie Jubitz Loved your comments. Not only does research stop at 75 (actually before) it's presumed women our age have one foot in the grave. Like you I've never been happier and healthier than now. I published my first book (Sexy In Your 60s) on reversing the aging process when I was 65. Working on my second book (Sexy In Your 70s). I date men decades younger than me (men my age cannot keep up) and live everyday to the fullest. Every day is a VERY good day!
** born/raised in Seattle (66 years) I've always loved Portland**
16
The joy (for me, anyway) of lifting weights in my senior years stems from the fact that at this age I am free of any concerns about competition. In my younger days I was worried about how I looked or I was despondent knowing I would never manage one of those impressively cut gym bodies I saw around me. Grey haired fellow that I am, no one pays any attention to whether I am lifting ten or 100 pounds and I certainly don't lean toward a "no pain, no gain" mentality. I press whatever is comfortable and now I am definitely seeing results. On a side note: I incorporated planks into my workout (per my MD's suggestion) and these have improved the contours of my physique considerably.
17
After hiv diagnosis in 1987 i started exercising with weights and aerobics (using vhs tape from 'the firm'; usually with sandahl bergman and janet gretzky). I've been working out regularly ever since. I am 72, three and four sessions a week is routine and the benefits have been immeasurable.
29
I really would like to see more articles that refer to a more senior demographic: 80 and over.
65 - 75 ain't what it used to be and we are, for the most part, incredibly mobile.
35
I am 73 and have done weight or resistance training for five years. It relieves my tension. It has favorably changed my physique. The weight training has become integral to my six day a week regimen that includes aerobics and stretching as well. I need to read books on my cellphone to stay engaged on a bike or treadmill. but when I lift or stretch I am engaged in two sources of complete relaxation in and of themselves. I structure those six days around my workouts that also include tai chi for balance. From my own point of view it is self destructive to avoid the gym as your mind and body without question benefit from the effort as you age. Every system in your body ages. To slow down that train is a Godsend.
17
While weight lifting is good, resistance training is very good. Whatever works!
3
Please explain what is the difference between the two?
4
I am so happy to see an article supporting weight training for the elderly. With sarcopenia being an issue for all living beings, I've never understood how strength training isn't recommended by more physicians. I'm a 44 y/o woman who has lifted since my late teens. I train to lift as heavy as possible in the primary lifts. And I have a goal of hitting 20 dead-hang pull-ups. I recently hit 19 after over a year at 18 and convincing myself that maybe I didn't have any extra in the tank. Now I know I do.
The perspective I'd like to share is the pure amazement that we can all experience when we push our bodies beyond what we believe to be our potential. We are gifted with our bodies. Why so many of us understand the importance of challenging our minds but not our bodies is beyond me. So many are missing out on half of life's great pleasures. Learning about your body and it's capabilities is an empowering, confidence builder like nothing else.
I recommend exercising first thing in the morning when you wake up. I've spoken with many coaches who agree that people who get up early to work out are usually the most consistent. I get up at 4:30. It's my favorite part of the day, and I feel good for the rest. Also, diet is king. Don't overestimate the calories burned in the gym. This is why there are people in the gym year after year without any noticeable changes. It's there, they just have to stop covering it up with their bad diets.
19
I'm 73 and my exercise routines over the decades have been rather self-directed. Sea kayaking in my 40s; on-off gym work in my 50s; a lot of hiking/backpacking in my 60's (along with -- of all things -- CrossFit boot camp for two years). Doing volunteer trail building in Colorado for the last nine years. Takeaway? I have been mediocre at best in any of these. I mean 'bottom half of the class'. So now I have a personal trainer and I have shifted back to 2/3 weight training and 1/3 cardio instead of the reverse. Part of it is seeing folks in Colorado who run up mountains. Part is watching my non-exercising wife have trouble even getting up from a stool without me giving her a hand. Part is fear. ("You don't stop hiking because you get old; you get old because you stop hiking!") What does this have to do with my current weight training? Well, I'm realizing that cardio isn't enough. I'm not able to do what I could 10 years ago -- or 20. And I'm stubborn! I sometimes think of that Dylan Thomas line: "Do not go gentle into that good night; Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Amen. Why work out? Because I don't want to give up. I don't want to be 'comfortable' and then end up like people I know (including my spouse) who have given up and "accepted" their aging bodies as 'just the way it is'. I'm not ready to do that. When I leave the gym after being challenged I can look in a mirror and grin. "Too tough to quit". Yep. Egotism.
69
@tbrucia
Oh yeah, the "vanity workout" has kept me lookin' pretty good at 67.
I’m disappointed that so many are uncomfortable with this subject that they feel it necessary to launch into a discussion of weightlifting.
2
@Michael Fallon
I don’t understand what you’re saying.
8
@Bob K.
Agreed. I haven't seen any discomfort. Just people who love to move.
6
I am a 63 yo woman with Secondary Progressive MS. I started out at the gym with a personal trainer for a couple years and now go on my own 3x a week. It is extremely important. I have lost weight, gained muscle, improved balance and yes your brain benefits too!! Nothing better than getting that heart rate up there and lifting some weights!
15
Great. But don't overdo it.
Many end up with surgery for knees (squats) or shoulders (bench press or standing press).
4
@John You’re touching on an important point, but I feel it needs a small clarification. Joint problems can very often be traced back to poor movement patterns. We all begin the process of adapting to chair posture as soon as we enter school and it continues at home, at work, in the car, etc. The result is that we are a nation of badly compromised movement patterns. If you add load to that, it’s a recipe for problems.
A proper squat or overhead press pattern can actually go a long way to solving problems. They do not, inherently, cause them. Unfortunately, unlike other activities - musical instruments, organized sports, knitting, art - we do not think of weight lifting as something skilled that requires lessons. We simply go and do.
11
@Andrew Schaeffer....good point...but, you need good form to prevent injury.
3
@John More people who do not lift weights have surgery on their knees, hips, and shoulders. I have done weightlifting and weight training for 58 years. I used to compete and lifted in the 1968 Olympic tryouts. I still lift 3 times a week along with 3 days jogging and 4 days walking along with Yoga every day. I am now 72 and people who I know who did not lift weights or run or do Yoga are the ones having the hip replacements and knee replacements. The people who maintained their meat centered diets are the ones having the stents and bypasses.
3
At home, walk 4 to 5 times a week for one hour and twenty minutes (approximately 5 miles). One hour weigh training couple times a week but need to make it more regular. I am 78 years old and am noticing significant loss of upper body strength so feel the need to do more weight training to continue doing the things I enjoy.
17
Years ago somebody mentioned “Shovelglove” in one of the comments to one of these NYT health articles. I’ve been doing it ever since. So I thought this would be a good place to pass it on. Google it! It consists of exercising with a sledgehammer, using movements that mimic useful work. It’s fun and it feels like I am exercising my muscles, head to toe, in a harmonious way without needing special training, which is great for a freelance worker with deadlines and little time for the gym. I am a small woman so my “shovelglove” is just 3kg. I also love the inventor’s philosophy because it works for me: don’t try to build up to do more and heavier, because then it’s only discouraging if you fall back. Work towards keeping an easily doable routine.
7
@MoTime Many years ago, I bought a "Bodyblade" that my husband still uses. Similar idea that you work up to what you can do and it uses your own body as the stabilizer to gain strength.
1
I'll be 87 in May & have been going to the same gym for 37 years, as the gym has gone thru 4 different owners. This gym has always included a free one-hour training session once/year. Originally I had a family membership to get my kids into exercising regularly. My wife goes to 24 Hour Fitness & with our Kaiser healthcare Silver Sneakers program there is no charge (I tried that gym for 3 days & didn't enjoy it -- if you don't enjoy your gym atmosphere or amenities you won't go regularly). At my gym I pay 2 years in advance and get 3 years membership at $52/month (my gym doesn't support Silver Sneakers). I memorize the first name of most everyone I see regularly, which gets me a smile & reply that makes me glad I came & keeps me returning -- especially if it's from a woman. I use mostly machines and move the weights slowly both lifting & return with complete extension. I use enough weight to really feel the resistance & to limit me to 3 sets of 12 repetitions, but not so much weight to risk hurting myself. I wait a minute or 2 between sets & never rush. I go to the gym 3 or 4 times/week in the early afternoon when there are fewer people -- I spend 1.5 to 2 hours each time. At 84 I had severe back pain & numb legs if I stood still for 10 minutes. I then had successful back surgery (partly due to my good physical condition) and it cured both problems. I go to the gym before I eat to assure I don't get sidetracked. I've made some good friendships at the gym.
37
@Bob
Nice goin' Bob!
I keep a 10 pound weight by my chair which I use at least twice a day. I have a routine that seems to work for me.
7
My doc recommends actual weights over machines. And light weights with more repetitions. Seems to be working. We're keeping up a very active lifestyle.
5
@Kim from Alaska
The free weight vs. machine discussion will never end. I do some of each so I can tell myself I'm open minded. Either is fine, so you as you do it regularly.
Having said that, if you have a weak spot you'll be safer on a machine because it more or less forces you to use good form.
3
As America bloats more with each passing day, I shudder to think what will be the situation in just 2024 as more polluted air and other climate change events make it necessary to give the elderly more care.
People, the resources just will not be there. I do NOT want to be MR. Doom and Gloom, not at all, I want to be a beacon to a future that is better for us all by agreeing with Ms Reynolds and Brody, we have to build ourselves up so we only depend on ourselves and our other fit elderly friends.
I have to be realistic, I can't afford to have fat or obese friends as they will be the most needy group and I will not have that albatross around my neck. I will choose my friends by those who do their share, who keep themselves ready to help when their help is needed. A drowning person is not a good swimming student, they will drown you trying to save themselves. A person who goes and learns to swim good AHEAD of time is a person you want to be in deep water with.
We must be realistic and bond with those who will work together to be able. Don't just complain about costs for training, how about opening a book, going to a library and doing some self help research. We humans really do NOT READ nearly as much as we should on things that are self help. The biggest hand you will ever find is located at the end of your own arm. Do your home work.
8
@WorldPeace2017– yes, dump those fat non-swimming friends now! Watch from the shore as they struggle and disappear beneath the waves!
8
@WorldPeace2017
I don't believe either Gretchen Reynolds or Jane Brody have ever implied that "we have to build ourselves up so we only depend on ourselves and our other fit elderly friends."
1
It was 1980. I was 35 years old, never had a problem with weight until we opened a Tex Mex restaurant and deep-fried cheese burritos became addictive. A regular customer was a personal trainer and totally fit. One day I was complaining to her I'd gained so much weight my boots wouldn't zip over my calves that morning. She invited me to come to her gym and work out with her. My immediate reaction was, "Oh no, I couldn't do that. I hate to exercise", but after that morning's experience with the boots, I bit the bullet and went. That was one of the most profound, life-altering, positive decisions I ever made.
I worked out with her twice a week, an hour each time. She coached me in the art of free weights and I was changed forever. In nine months I went from a 5'2" overweight, out-of-shape, depressed woman to a firm, svelte, height/weight balanced body. My dress size went from a size 12 to a size 4. My 145 pounds dropped to 110. My slack, flabby skin disappeared. Muscle took its place. My body was firm and tight. I lost inches everywhere and we built inches where I wanted them.
My stamina and energy reached an all time high. My depression disappeared with every appointment.
Over many decades I enlisted the help of personal trainers. That said I was also perfectly capable, given my knowledge to train myself which I often did.
It's now 39 years later. I'm fast approaching my 74th birthday and I'm still lifting weights. I'll lift forever.
263
@Joan Bunney
You're an inspiration! I just started lifting heavy again after a long hiatus due to a broken bone. A lot of women are afraid of the weight room; somewhat understandably as it's not always the most welcoming place for women and the cardio-heavy routines are still being pushed by trainers.
25
@Joan Bunney
Good for you Joan. One thing you didn't mention is that you probably changed your eating habits as well.
Tex-Mex enchiladas and tacos have been my downfall.
Hopefully you've also been free of injuries since that is a deterrent to those who don't have someone guiding them. I'm glad you've stuck with it.
13
@Joan Bunney
Inspiring ! Keep it up.
13
I am 74 and, every day, i engage in a session of lifting 15 pound weights which i keep in the living room. No need for the hassle and expense of a gym. Been doing this for years and it works.
19
Three years ago, in my early fifties, I began to take classes with a personal trainer after a long bout with an inflammatory arthritic autoimmune disease. The first year I felt "wiped out" and "barfy" after each class. But after a year or two, I have gotten so much stronger and developed new muscles in my legs, back, arms, and core. I believe I am now stronger than I have EVER been and appreciate this in the daily small tasks of life: getting a gallon of distilled water off a high grocery store shelf, getting out of a low slung car, pushing a vacuum cleaner across of resistant rug. It is wonderful!
My spouse and I are in a high-deductible health plan and after paying the premium for that, we can't afford the many thousands in deductible expenses. The $140 per month my trainer charges is a far better deal than thousands per month in physical therapy.
The key is to keep showing up! You will age but you don't have to "grow old." Grow strong, instead.
51
Congratulations to all those who have commented.
I am a 60 y.o. Orthopaedic Surgeon who has spent a career salvaging those who have lived with the effects of sarcopenia.
Please, help yourself and learn about Progressive Resistance Exercise. Others have cited Starting Strength and I couldn't agree more. Also, look at Barbell Medicine but most importantly work on you strength. Your BP, blood sugar and mental health will thank you.
BTW: I squat 315, deadlift 410 and bench 215 for reps.
37
I am 67 and recently moved across country for my health (to a drier climate for arthritis). I signed up for an hour session with a personal trainer affiliated with my physiotherapist and I have never looked back. I am stronger, fitter, more confident, and feel 30 years younger! Try it, keep trying it, and don't give up - it is so worth it to feel so strong and competent, especially since I have degenerative disk disease and massive arthritis pain - but my strength has lessened that pain and made my life spectacularly worth living again.
23
As a former athletic club owner, I know how important it is for people to feel comfortable in the fitness center. Look for a place where you see people your age working out. I recommend finding a place that hires trainers and staff that are middle aged. YWCA’s and community centers are great. I would not recommend any of the new franchise gyms. Most owners/mangers no little to nothing about fitness and strength training. They might as well have purchased a dry cleaning store.
10
@betsy
That's a good point. You have to like the gym as a place to spend time, or you won't go.
3
I’m 72, and will try weight lifting. But can you recommend an aerobic exercise? Is HILT a viable option for me? Note, I’m in reasonably good health and a little overweight.
3
@Pete Thurlow
walking. find a hill. if the hill isn't steep enough throw some big books in a knapsack and wear the knapsack
3
@Pete Thurlow
No, HIIT's not good for starting. My choice for an aerobic exercise is running in place. Start with a minute and, over time, increase to ten continuous minutes. In addition to going longer, you can challenge yourself by going at a faster pace and with higher knee flexes.
Us New Jerseyans can now enjoy one of the longest wooden boardwalks probably in the country. Recent work, coinciding with the two new casino openings, have extended the boardwalk to six miles. Feels great on the feet!
1
@Pete Thurlow
Anything that gets you moving is good, but I don't like running because of the impact on my knees. I use the cycling and elliptical training machines
HILT is great, but work up to it.
Have fun!
Fun to read about all the regimens here. Me - pushing 80 - I have a medicine ball and most early evenings do a varied routine to whatever music happens to be on....latin jazz and salsa are my favorites, but I can even get enthused when playing Chopin's "Fantasie impromptu".
15
I lift weights at 81 and would like to offer a few sobering observations.
I used to be able to lift 3X a week. Now I can only lift 2X a week. I need the extra day for recovery.
I have to force myself to get started. Boredom is avoided by meeting the challenge of doing it.
I push myself so my workouts are NOT fun. I sometimes feel like I’ve been run over by a truck as I return to my car.
I am much weaker than I was in my 50’s. I need 2-3 minutes to recover between sets. It used to be one minute.
With bilateral knee replacements and bad shoulders and stenosis I have cut the number of exercises to the bone—slow pushups on PerfectPushup handles, aided pull-ups with a neutral grip, cable rows, rear deltoid machine, dumbbell concentration curls, adductor and abductor machines. My surgeon has forbidden any leg exercises except for bicycling and walking.
I used to partner up with a few of my female college students who *thought* they were lifting weights until they had me as a partner. We would do one set to failure with forced negatives. After a year or two lifting with me they experienced a huge improvement in self confidence.
I look at other elderly men at my YMCA gym and they do not push themselves. No pain, no gain doesn’t mean “pain.” It means extreme discomfort. Without that challenge weight lifting is boring.
17
@Berchman - love your attitude! I am a 67 year old female and can do a 4 minute plank on a pilates ball - my personal trainer is proud of me - and so am I! I have degenerative disk disease with lots of related pain, sleep issues etc and physical activity, including weight training, has given me a new lease on life.
6
@Berchman Mix it up a bit. Along with my weight resistance program, two days a week I do Tai Chi and Qigong, both improve pulmonary function and are gentle to the body. My YMCA offers these classes.
9
@Berchman spot on - the bar doesn't lie, and the truth it tells you should be that you just worked very hard. Still, when older, maintain is gain.
7
The weight of one’s own body should be sufficient for most... Can you hold a plank for 30, 60, 90 seconds or more? Or a one-legged plank? Try any of the many other poses in yoga or Pilates..... results may taken longer than in conventional weightlifting, but you get the added mind-body connection and serenity in the ‘shivasana’ at the end of your yoga practice.
39
Sleeping in two segments, I get up in the middle of the night for two hours and have breakfast. While the steel-cut oats and flax seed cooks, I balance on each leg for two minutes, do numerous repetitions of three leg/ butt exercises and then either 40 repetitions of four different ten-pound weight lifting exercises. (Out from the side to shoulder-height being the only slight challenge at 74 years of age).
What I have observed on going back to sleep after adding the weight-lifting is that the noticeably enhanced brain blood flow leads to much deeper sleep and dreaming. So not only do I dispatch this chore to the middle of the night out of convenience (when they have much less competition for my attention) but the weight-lifting in particular then has a secondary benefit that I greatly value.
17
As a youth I did the necessary weight work for the sports I played, as a young adult, and busy father, it was mostly aerobic workouts, some light resistance work, hikes, skiing, chores; then in my late 50s, I took up outdoor cycling and incorporated resistance training. Now, in my 70th year, and after an accidental hip fracture, it's daily resistance training, working a different group of muscles every other day for about 50-60 minutes. Later in the day it is aerobic activity for at least an hour. Still cycling 3000+/- miles/yr too. The strengthening workouts are essential to maintain a good quality of life. The goal is to do as much as I can for as long as I can.
19
I have done weight training before, but I have found the best results with TRX training. I am 67 and I found TRX classes empowering and my strength and muscles have really developed...It is quite amazing! Once you learn some of the basics you can also buy a travel TRX kit (straps and handles) that you use with a simple door bracket. Whenever I travel, I always toss my TRX straps in my bag. I work out with them three times a week (but prefer the comradery of a class)
12
@Regina Couldn't agree more. TRX is the single best piece of exercise equipment. Over the course of an hour I can work just about every muscle group and never do the exact the same exercise twice. I have seen amazing improvement,
especially in core strength. Great fit for apartment dwellers on a budget too
4
proper Form when lifting weights is vital. The photo used in article encourages older folks; however speaking as a trainer if this demographic refrain fromtightly gripping the weights with hands. Balance then gingerly w/ locked wrist, tuck arm and work those upper and lower arm muscles for effective contractions! Full range is also not necessary in the older populations... be kind to ligaments and tendons and start a weight program... slowly and consistently.
23
At age 50, after too many years sedentary with a job where I rarely am required to stand up, I found myself with some major pain in my back and knees. Plus I did not look good. I started weight training. Almost 4 years later and I am in so much better shape. Some main benefits besides strength and appearance are in my posture and my general sense of well-being. Lift often and hard, rest and eat good food.
17
I'm 66 but have been exercising all my adult life using the old style nordic track, stationary bike and free weights at home 3 times a week. 20 minutes aerobic exercise and about 10 to fifteen minutes of weights, sit ups and push ups. It's most convenient since I don't have to drive to the gym and can watch TV while doing exercises. Those few times when I neglected to exercise for several days I felt sore and tired. After exercising I feel much better. One suggestion to combine aerobic and resistance exercise: Use 10 lb. weights in each hand while also pedaling on a stationary bike.
7
Strength training doesn't have to involve a gym. Some free weights, ankle weights, and a good training book can make a two- or three-times a week routine very doable and effective at home. I've always strength trained at home (since 1999). Lost weight, etc. Going to the gym would have been impossible what with work, family, etc. Going to a gym works for some, but it's not a necessity. The point is to lift. Wherever, whenever you can.
24
I've personally experienced the benefits of strength training and I initially used the Starting Strength program. Starting Strength is a great strength training program and that community is a great resource. This program revolves around the use of the basic lifts using barbells. If you're able to use free weights there are definite advantages to using these over machines. It doesn't matter matter where you start in terms of the amount of weight you lift but the key is to lift a little bit more each time. It can be intimidating starting out and using a coach really short circuits the learning process and learning the proper form will reduce the probability of injury. Starting Strength Coaches are trained to work with all kinds of clients and many of them train people over 55 years old.
Strength is needed in all kinds of daily activities. Give yourself the best chance to remain independent and the ability to do the activities you enjoy for as long as possible. Get stronger and stay strong through regular strength training. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. The worst advice you can give to an aging person is to take it easy. Easy makes you soft, and soft makes you dead.
11
@Dave Well said. I love your last line.
2
I found that Tai Chi also helps with balance and control issues. I also work out at Planet Fitness because it is quite cheap and you can sign up for training classes. Both have made a serious difference in my life for the better. At 65, I never thought I would go to a gym. I tried when I was younger but was intimidated by all the large weight lifting guys and would quit after going a couple of times after paying a hefty bill. PF has people just like me going to it and the grunting and dropping of weights is not done. I particularly admire one 88 year old guy with bad knees who works out there frequently. He is doing great.
18
As a lifetime gym (age 69) rat / power lifter cross-trainer. A recent 10 week 3X per week stint in physical therapy to correct an injury occasioned by a fall got me back in the gym about 2 months before ski season this year and has been a really big help to me physically. The best part of the Gym experience has been constantly getting hit on by young women in Spandex. This has gotten my wife out to the gym with me to work out when I am there.
5
I don't like free weights. Putting the weights on or taking them off the bar is such a nuisance. I use the resistance machines. Machines are supposed to be more efficient anyways.
1
@bob
Machines are not more efficient. Free weights are the only way to isolate a specific muscle. It’s too easy to leverage your body to make the particular machine move. Bars are only one free weight exercise. I also suggest bands and exercise balls.
1
People from the boomer generation started the fitness craze many years ago and many are still at it! I am amazed at how that exercize made all the difference over the years, and am still at it. It means more now than ever so we can enjoy an active and fun life til the end of our days.
8
The great Tom Brady trains with elastic resistance bands exclusively.
Per his TB12 program.
2
@Mary M.
Do the band ever need inflating?
8
It should be a weight machine rather than free weights.
2
@Ed
Too easy to cheat on a machine. Free weighs are more efficient and do a better job of isolating the specific muscle group you are working on
1
As I get older, I've started resistance training at home. I don't like going to gym since, yes, there's certain intimidation - hence, confidence - to be doing ANY form of exercise in an open environment where one can feel like other's judging eyes. I've bought a few kettlebell and have been doing various exercise with kettlebell, and it feels good, that's why I keep going, even if there's no one to prompt me to do it. The feel-good factor should have been enough as a reward on its own.
6
@tiddle
I think we overestimate how much anyone at the gym notices anyone else. Most are absorbed in their workout and increasingly in their cell phones.
6
Even though I'm disabled, I still do weight training three times a week and at age 59 I'm lifting more weight than I have ever done before. It helps counteract the effects of my disability and I look fit and therefore feel more confident about myself.
22
Proper form, as taught by a good trainer, not only prevents injuries, it produces results efficiently. An hour-long workout done properly gives better results than three hours of weight work with incorrect form.
The yearly amount I spend on my twice-weekly sessions with my trainer adds up to less than the cost of a single month in a nursing home. That's a bargain.
31
@Cianne
Your remarks are wonderful and original. Wish I knew your age, gender, and something about you. I work with a trainer only once a week and have now for nearly a year.
1
@Karen Well, thank you!
I have been greatly influenced by my wonderful trainer, a woman in her late 50s who really knows her stuff. I'm a 63-year-old woman who always thought I needed to do exhausting aerobic exercise to get in shape. As I approached 60, I made an appointment at the training studio in my neighborhood and was introduced to strength training. My eyes were opened.
Studies say that weight training once a week gives great benefits. My husband works with the same trainer once a week and has really improved the movement in an arm he shattered in a bicycle accident. Every little bit helps.
2
Can anyone recommend specifically what kind of training (there are so many!) & names of companies (?) that provide qualified coaches for weight lifting/resistance training? Thanks
Body Pump (free weights) class including squats and pushups 2 x week at the Tri-City Wellness gym in Carlsbad keeps me in shape for the line dancing class - at 91.
23
Aside from all of the excellent benefits mentioned in the article, and commentary as well, there is also the practical benefit of being stronger because of weight training when doing ordinary activities, both around your home, and elsewhere. Example: lifting heavy objects, such as garbage pails, or furniture. I’ve found that weight training with free weights helps me do many practical things, things that ordinarily I wouldn’t do, and makes it much easier and painless to do the things I enjoy, like woodworking, home renovation, etc..
18
This 65-year-old lady started lifting a dozen years ago, mainly because I didn't want to lose muscle mass and to combat the osteoporosis that has limited the later years of my 89-year-old mother. I won't say I go to my workouts joyfully, but I can't imagine not doing them, either.
23
I started powerlifting around 3 years ago. I will turn 70 this summer. I more than reversed my loss of strength and muscle mass. I feel that for me it has been a fountain of youth. I am stronger now than I have been in my entire life. I only use free weights. Machines hold the balance for you, preventing your body from learning to hold the balance. I can bench press 265, squat (below parallel) 340, and deadlift 393. I am still getting stronger, although at a much slower rate than when I started. Form is crucial. You need help when you start. There are some groups on Facebook, like Starting Strength, that let you post videos of your lifts for helpful suggestions. The key is starting where you are with light weights and moving up gradually. Most important, don't listen to those voices, including your own, that tell you, "you're too old for that."
52
@roger Starting Strength rocks!! And for those who want to go more minimalist, try Simple and Sinister: one kettlebell, two exercises, 30 minutes (including warm up and cool down), done. Regardless of program -- find a good trainer -- one certified as a Starting Strength coach or as an SFG by Strongfirst for kettlebells. Learn proper technique and progress at your pace.
5
At 74 I can do 50 pushups, 30 situps, bench press 200 pounds, and, for my grand finale, do 20 minutes of intensive weight training with my aunt Jenny's fruitcake.
60
Which "people" were in this study? Men, women or or both? Gender matters in health. Please hold future articles to higher standards in reporting scientific findings.
6
@Patricia. They mention 'men and women' in a couple of places in the article.
7
Find a place with classes that suit you. I go to weight, yoga and spin classes. I know ask the instructor if i have pain how to change the exercise to my body. I have also met some amazing people my age and older to talk with. I go for fitness and conversation.
1
Totally agree, Even my almost 91 year old mother in law goes to a group weight training class. She grumbles once in a while but we should all hope to be in as good of shape as she is at her age!
13
I started a weight lifting regimen multiple times over a couple of decades and it always led to injury. The mind was more determined, and competitive, than was good for the body. This led to needing steroid shots into the rotator cuff.
Everything changed when I got a personal trainer. They push me to the brink every day, but the regimen is different every time and care is taken to balance the muscle groups. If you can, don;t do it on your own. Get a professional to design your workouts.
19
@Kai absolutely. Get a trainer, don't say I can do it myself because trainers are expensive. They know what they doing and there's a reason why they get paid for for what they do. I have always used one and he tailors a routine that works for me. Weight training is not a one size fits all.
9
@Kai did you use a business/company for your personal trainer? I am looking for one as I am a newbie and very confused with all the info on the web! (Anybody) please help!
I first began weight lifting when I was 15. Back then, weight lifting was frowned upon by many as an activity for knuckle heads.
Now, I'm 67 and have continued weight training continuously since my youth. I believe that weight lifting offers tremendous advantages for everyone, but if you didn't like doing it as a younger person, you probably wouldn't enjoy it as a senior.
After 52 years of working with weights, I can't say that I enjoy it much anymore. As I begin each work out, it's often the last thing in the world that I want to do. But I keep doing it; 3 times a week, every week. In order to be successful with exercise, you have to force yourself no matter how you feel. I'm always happy to have done it the next day.
35
@Ralph
I disagree with your assertion that “if you didn’t like doing it as a younger person, you probably wouldn’t enjoy it as a senior.”
It’s never too late to enjoy a new skill! I didn’t enjoy lap swimming until I did it in my mid-30s. I didn’t enjoy triathlons until I did one in my late 30s. I didn’t enjoy meditation until I did it in my 40s.
Now that I’m almost 50, I can’t wait to find out what else I might enjoy learning!!
3
I am 75. I was a dedicated jogger/runner in my 40s 50s and until about 66. I have arthritis in my knee and I want to keep exercising but not impact my knee and stave off knee replacement. I go to the Y but there are many things I can't do anymore (treadmill, stair stepper among them). I keep pushing for the sweet spot where I get maximum strength, mobility, etc etc without hurting myself.
I still haven't found it but I am getting there. I go to 3 active senior fitness classes a week and it is inspiring to see people in their 80s and 90s. People with Parkinson's, people whose bodies make me cringe but I am so proud of them for being there. We use weights, bands, stretching and balance.
Having been a runner I want the euphoria and the sweat from exercise. I recognize that it is not possible anymore but I will do the most I can while I can.
Anybody reading this who thinks they can't do it--failure is a state of mind. You can do SOMETHING. It sometimes takes a while for people to come to love fitness and exercise. There are people in my exercise class who didn't realize their level of fitness had increased until they did something they hadn't been able to do 3 months earlier.
16
@Bandylion
Hi Bandylion!
I'm 78.5 and workout (free weights) ~twice a week. In the past I was into jogging, swimming, martial arts, and boxing before weight lifting and walking/bicycling, which is what I settled into well over 20 years ago.
A few years ago I noticed that my endurance began to wane, and it was sharp/quick. I can tell that I'm almost 80. The hardest has been to do less at the gym, and less often, but I have to because I get fatigued. And if I don't listen to my body and try to push through it (which my training has taught me to do) the fatigue gets chronic.
All of this to say to you and all the old folks reading this: Do your workouts, they're necessary. But age brings limits. Pay attention to them.
Joseph in Missoula
25
@Joseph
Hi Joseph! You are absolutely right. I have been fighting against my limitations for a few months now and I have to submit 100% to what my body tells me. I don't have to go so low with squats, 5# weights are fine--don't have to push for 7 or 8# - these examples are just 2 of many. Bye.
5
I have visitors in town so I did my upper/lower weight workout today at 5:15 a.m. If you keep weights at home, it is possible to get your exercise, even if not particularly enjoyable.
12
@Marilyn Sue Michel I agree. Also, many people like me live in rural areas where choosing a nice gym is not an option.
5
At the age of 47 , I took a personal inventory and decided, at 255 lbs , I needed a “ lifestyle adjustment “ .Twenty one years years later I’m still at it , my weight has been as low as 195 , and considering the fact that I had a heart attack and I was diagnosed with Diabetes 3 years ago , I feel great . The thing I believe that discourages most newcomers is impatients . I have seen the same cycle of “ Newbies “ every January 3rd , at the beginning of the new year , the gym is so overcrowded that it’s always a wait to use most of the machines, by February 1st, two thirds ( maybe more ) are gone . The best piece of advice I can offer ? “ Slow and steady, wind the race “ . Remember, you didn’t put the pounds on in a month, and they don’t come off that quickly either.
7
One of the many nice benefits of going to the gym regularly is that, today, it's one place where people cooperate, are working for common goal, and it is the most polite places you can be these days.
116
@SpotCheckBilly: Try going to a gym in Manhattan and see if you still think people are so friendly.
4
@Steve or gyms in the Hudson Valley :(
2
@SpotCheckBilly
That's such a positive attitude ^!
1
I wonder why there is no mention of any participants continuing weight training at home. Wouldn't that be a logical possible choice for some who wish to continue weight training after the study? Or, do all of the weight training routines involved require specialized gym equipment? More information would be helpful.
10
@rac
Too many distractions at home. The atmosphere at the gym stimulates one to move. And the biggest factor is watching others do their thing, as every gym has stars whose achievements inspire one to do more.
Joseph in Missoula
6
@rac:
I work out with my free weights at home, 3 x a week. I hired a trainer to teach me how; keep my weights under the sofa. So convenient.
4
The social contacts in the gym environment surely has plenty of health benefits on its own.
On the other hand, it likely will take you a minimum of 30 minutes to get from your home (or office) to the gym, change, exercise, probably shower, get back to home or office. That is 30 minutes that you could have used to exercise if you develop the simple knowledge about how to do it at home. There are plenty of ways to make it happen. You might need to pay a personal trainer for a half dozen sessions to learn an effective home routine, but it is worth it. Best of luck to you.
16
@jocome
Home workouts are good, but why do you assume 30 minutes to get to a gym? I have two gyms within a 10-minute drive of my home in the big city. And when I visit my family in rural America, there is still a gym a 20-minute drive away. And many large employers have fitness rooms at work.
1
@jocome
This is true for me, too, but I don't mind the drive. It's one of the nicer chores I do in my day.
Weight training makes sense for overall health. But what about those of us that have physical disabilities such as spinal stenosis and peripheral neuropathy? What can we do? Whom do we get reliable advice about what weight training for our conditions? I have gotten few, if any, answers from several physical therapists and my physicians.
6
@CommonSense'18
One bit of advice that works for everyone is avoid pain. The phrase: "No Pain No Gain" is a huge mistake. If it causes pain, either don't do it or find a way that doesn't pinch. For example, one with shoulder issues, like tendinitis, should never do the overhead press, and if it's a knee thing, don't do squats.
90% of car accidents happen at intersections. 90% of sports injuries happen at joints.
Joseph in Missoula
7
I injured my shoulder doing the overhead press, and after giving it a little time off continued. Bad idea. I ended up having PT and he said stop using that machine! The injury happened in June and I cannot sleep all night because of the shoulder pain. I wish I had know better. Except for that, weight lifting has been a positive experience.
@Joseph I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, and in much pain. Three plus years of weight training and I am great. But I really had to work on my posture, and still do. I am mid-50s btw.
2
This is a shout out for Curves. The program uses weight resistance machines. It takes 30 minutes to do 2 complete circuits. This is a quick and easy way to increase strength for women!
1
@J W Merchant- Curves takes your money and spends it on spreading lies about abortions, such as abortions cause breast cancer. Anyone who goes there should be aware of their tactics.
I am shocked that the NY Times would post your advertisement for this chain of gyms.
29
@S.L. I learned the hard way that Curves is more than it seems. After a knee replacement and a partial colectomy, I looked for a nearby location where I at least get some minimal exercise. That turned out to be Curves.
I started going to Curves around Christmas. There was a sign admonishing gym members to "keep Christ in Christmas." There were free sugary candycanes in the shape of a "j" with a large desk-sign reminding us that "j" is the first letter in Jesus.
I don't do religion in my gym.
I exercised all right. I walked out of that creepy gym and never walked back. Until I saw your text, I had thought the problem was with a local franchisee. I did not realize it is an institutional problem.
6
@pamela b Pamela, thank you too for making people aware of this. Religions and the hidden agendas espoused by them have no place in my life.
4
If you look at the picture with the story you see a person doing bicep curls with a 1 kilogram weight. The person in the picture is out focus but appears to be a fairly strong looking woman. 1 kilogram lifts are not going to do anything for anyone but the most feeble. It is too light.
12
@Steve
You have to start somewhere, and for many older people who may not have exercised much it is important to start small, then build up gradually.
7
@Steve
I'm sure you're just trying to help, but the "more is better" attitude to exercize actually does a lot of harm, discourages people from even trying, and makes many people new to training back off. If we could get everyone to regularly pick up 1kg weights rather than just a few of us lifting tons, our public health would be vastly improved.
5
@Grevillea, you are absolutely right. And here's the thing----you can get a good work-out from using lighter weights, but moving SLOWLY with them. You can feel the level of effort in your muscles, which are working harder because you are not relying on the momentum of faster movement to accomplish what you're doing. This is so much easier on the joints and lets you remain in total control of the weights at all times. Same principle applies when using machines.
Protect those joints! When they get damaged, everything gets harder, especially exercise.
4
I can believe this because it is happening to me.
I pay a ton of money for a personal trainer so I can learn to do this. I know that I feel better, and I know that I can garden without a backache now.
Why would I stop doing that?
Bummer to lose the university facilities, though.
9
Machines are more efficient than free weights. Rather than spending times leading and unloading bars, the exercise simply moves from one machine to the next, adjusting the weight and position levers only. The benefits are substantial, detectable, and....observable.
4
Yes, but free weights have the advantage of your movements being more natural and not fixed. Also, the time it takes to remove the plates is good for relaxing after the exercise you just performed
13
@Peretz David
Using machines involves moving weights in a fixed plane. This puts very focused stress on a particular point within joints. Moving free weights involves may different angles and counterbalancing forces so that this does not occur. When you start working with higher weights on machines you really increase your chance for joint injury. I can attest to this from personal experience. I use free weights in addition to machines, but use moderate to light weight with the machines and heavier free weights
19
@porcupine pal One advantage to free weights is that you can have them at home. I find myself filling a spare ten minutes here and there at home with a set or two of lifting exercises. I go to the gym twice a week to lift heavier weights, ones that I don't have in the house.
7
I'm 57. I started lifting, in earnest, about 18 months ago. I also fence foil. I'm a 5'3", 155 pound woman.
I deadlift 235 and am headed for 250 in my next max cycle.
I can squat 225.
I can regularly do box rows with a 35 pound dumbbell. Lifing has made a huge difference in my life - in my level of fitness and my outlook.
I lift 3-4 days a week. I fence 2 days a week. I do Pilates for an hour a week.
For those who are suggesting that they cannot afford a trainer, almost every gym offers a free "on-boarding" session when you join to show you how to use the equipment in a manner which is safe for you. And if you do hire a trainer for a session at anywhere from 60-125 for an hour - isn't it worth it to do that a few times a year to get an updated workout to go from than to cover the co-pays from illness or injury related to not aging well?
My gym money is money well spent.
58
@knitter215 235 lbs.. are you sure about that?
1
@knitter215
Yes! You cannot just walk into a gym and go. If you don't lift/plank/etc properly you will just make things worse.
That's also my concern about DVDs.
Yes, gym memberships do cost, but they are is far cheaper and more fun than being injured say, by tripping on the sidewalk.
1
@Walter McCarthy Want video. I have some on Instagram. Yes, I'm sure about 235. Thursday, I did 5x5 preps - four sets at 185 and one set at 195. Last night I squatted 5 reps at 185, 3 at 200 and 1 at 225. I'm also ranked in the top 25 women foil fencers in my age group in the US.
And - I've lost about 150 pounds in the last 3 years. So yeah - I'm sure about 235 and confident I'll lift 250.
18
Folks, check with your insurance company, if they participate in Silver Sneakers or a similar program, they may pick up your and your spouse's gym tab. It works for us and we can use any Gold's Gym, LA Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Planet Fitness, Anywhere Fitness, etc.
19
@SpotCheckBilly
Accepted at the Y, too.
2
@SpotCheckBilly
Silver Sneakers was just cancelled with my AARP United plan. (2019)
The muscle mass thing is way overrated. What is needed is functional strength. I found this through weighted kettlebells. Kettlebells are marvelous for core strength - which is the key to mobility. Big biceps are useless. At 65 years old, I do kettlebell training twice a week. The rest of the week I work on cardio fitness. Skinny and strong.
20
@ZA With respect, all strength is functional. What is needed is a balanced physique. Strong biceps have lots of uses, and on some people may get large from functional training.
3
I recommend caution when considering using free weights. I injured my elbow following an online weight training exercise video for seniors. Resistance bands are safer.
3
@D. Beers It's key to start slow, and progress from there, also to make sure to warm-up. Elbow tendonitis is unforgiving. That said, bands and cables, such as Lifeline, give a good alternative to free weights, or machines.
7
I totally agree with this delightful essay on weight training.
I have been going to the gym for years to exercise upper and lower body muscles. I do this so that I can continue to hike, fly fish in rocky rivers, and pursue photography.
Also, my wife and I try to walk over a mile at least twice a week. Consequently, we are able to enjoy the outdoors frequently.
Stay active!
9
I completely agree with this article. I am 84 years old and have been lifting weights for years. I am both stronger and feel much better because of it. Rather than lift heavy weights, one can get just as much benefit from using hand-held bar bells of 5-10 lbs and increasing the number of repetitions as comfort dictates. I use a variety of routines to exercise all the major muscles. The leg weights have done wonders for my arthritic knees. All this, plus 20 minutes on a stationary bike -- 6 days a week-- has had marvelous effects.
65
In my late 50's I read an article describing a retirement home study that looked at the effect of a weight training program on people 55 to 85 about a quarter of which were in wheelchairs. After six months almost all the participants were up and active including the ones formerly in wheelchairs. My reaction was "why wait till I'm in a wheelchair" and I started with the weights right away. That was over 20 years ago and I have no problem walking, running or lifting.
33
I am 74 years old and have done weight training over the last 45 years. That, and running/walking has allowed me to maintain the weight I had at the age of 30. I have a BMI of 23 and last week my blood pressure measured 129/72 without BP meds.
I train 3 times a week with weights along with pushups, planks and abdominal exercises. I like to walk 15 miles a week, weather and body permitting.
Where I live I am not an outlier. One of my best friends is 82 years old and trains about 6 times a week. I live in a mountain golf community and most of the residents are in their 60's and above.
I talk about my regimen for two reasons: One, I am proud to do it and reap the results and, two, I want to point out that each of us can do something given individual physical limitations. If you want to start, but are unsure how to start, get professional advice, starting with sound medical advice followed by professional training. Good luck and do an extra set for me.
92
I am 70 and have lymphoma which caused a great deal of loss of musculature. I retired a year ago and have plenty of time on my hands. I found a nearby gym and have been going there for the last 4 months.
I go nearly every day of the week and have found I love lifting weights. In each of the exercises I can now lift at least 50% more than when I first started. In addition to the weight lifting I do planks and crunches and indoor biking.
The change in my body is fairly stunning. Where I had been almost skeletal 18 months ago, I now see muscle. My spine had become so stripped of protective fat and muscle that it stood out on my back like a small mountain ridge.
I am also working on moderating my diet.
It is easy to find the right exercises on line. Go fo it!
155
@Peretz David
Great! Keep it up!
12
I turned 70 last year and am in my 25th year of regularly going to to the gym at the local Y, as does my spouse. We are fortunate that it is an excellent facility with a reasonable monthly fee. When you first join, you receive three free training sessions. Of the many offerings (yoga, aerobics, etc.), I like weight training the best. Once I started, I was hooked, so I can understand the people in this study who kept up with their workouts. For some of my exercises, I go with free weights, standing on one leg, then the other--working on balance is good at this, and any, age.
16
I don’t see any mention of exercising from dvds.
Although going to a gym is great, it might not be convenient.
I have a selection of weights and regularly exercise with 5 lb dumbbells.
37
@Mary M.Excellent point. I don't do free weights, but I have been doing a resistance cord video workout for years.
One may not "look" as developed with resistance cords, but I found that my general muscle development is more balanced with this routine than free weights. There is also less chance of injury.
Everyday activities such lifting and bending are easier with some sort of resistance training.
1
@Mary M.
5 lbs? You should be progressing way past 5 lbs, you body gets used to that very quickly.
3
@Mary M, There is nothing wrong with using prerecorded videos as a workout guide provided one is careful not to over extend oneself. YouTube is positively brimming with workouts for all ages and abilities.
5
Around age 50 I had some knee problems, so I looked up “exercise” and got some leg exercises that also suggested using ankle weights in addition was better. Then at some point, someone gave me la couple of hand weights. And I looked up exercises for that.
At 74 I now try to do the ankle and hand weights (ideally) several times a week. I have a little routine I follow for each of them. I do have access to a little gym (here in the retirement community) but it’s easier for me to do my weights right in my own little apartment. Usually in the morning. But sometimes later.
I also try to take a walk outdoors and I take every opportunity to walk further, by parking my car near the back of parking lots when doing errands or using the store itself as a walking place, especially if it’s very frigid outside.
I’m in pretty good shape. And I’ve done exercises just about all my life, people making fun of me back in college for example.
I’m glad to read this article. And I encourage anyone to try this. My weights, at my age, are just 5 lb weights (for hands or ankles). But they do the trick.
76
@TheraP That's great. But if you want even better results, you might try going heavier. Our bodies are stubborn, they don't adapt unless forced to do by being presented with challenges on the edge of what they can handle. Stress the organism, the organism gets stronger. If you go on youtube you can find people your age lifting hundred of pounds. You could get there too, just lots of small steps in between.
2
Real strength and muscle mass occurs far beyond the 1 KG (2.2 pounds) weight shown.
15
I totally agree with this article. As a personal trainer and Body Builder, I have come in contact with people in their 70s or older who still have an active wiped out and lift weights. They look amazing and they feel amazing. My biggest hero Earnestine shepherd, the world who is 83 years old. There are women who are 30 years old that don’t look good if she does. And Mr. Ray who is 77, he is ripped! And there are many males in their 30s and early 40s who are envious of his physique
21
@Paula, Ernestine is indeed amazing (I've seen pictures of her on the internet.) Another example of what the human body is capable of, despite aging, is Clarence Bass (80+) whose website has a pictorial dating back 60 years.
1
Imagine if schools all over the country had early morning and early evening classes for anyone who wanted to come to participate in exercise classes.
264
@A I’ve always thought that beginning the day with a yoga class in schools would be helpful for focusing kids on learning. Then end the day with weight training.
13
Curious that the study didn’t also include a group taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)? Like muscle mass, hormones levels can drop at similar or higher rates. I am 52 and have been on a ($1.00) 4 ml shot of Testosterone weekly for over a year, and along with significant/dramatic increases in my ability to lift weights and workout, my mental outlook/sleeping/ and over all out look on life has improved three-fold. Testing hormones levels is not usually part of your standard bloodwork review - YOU must request it and pay for it (approx $46.00) through your healthcare provider. Note; Possible links to cardiac and or prostate related health concerns have been raised with this therapy.
3
@Dave Curran
I agree.
I’ve been on HRT for many years. At age 63 I’m stronger than my female friends who don’t do it. I can build muscle very easily but I did stop one summer and the results showed up at the end of the summer, I was in terrible shape with no muscle tone. 6 mos later it’s back.
1
@Linda
You stopped hormones or working out?
Muscle loss marginalizes and depersonalizes the aged.
The strength gained by resistance training can reverse this process and create empowerment and confidence.
96
@Michael True. And people seem to forget that they have a weight with them at all times. It is their body.
7
Here's the thing - it's not that easy for people to find supervised training without paying a substantial amount. Silver Sneakers is great (if your insurance covers it) but it just gets you into the gym and covers some classes (mostly aerobics) but if you want to learn about weight training you need to pay a personal trainer. I encountered this myself - went to the gym on Silver Sneakers, just tried to get someone to show me how to use the machines but got a hard sell for personal training to the tune of more than $1000 to start. Yes weight training is good for seniors but you need to know how to do it safely, and for many of us that is out of reach.
157
@Catherine
I've gone to my local Anytime Fitness gym on the Silver Sneakers program and have never spent a nickel for any help from their staff. Any questions I've had have been answered and they have given me suggestions I hadn't even asked for. Most Wednesdays there is usually a nice big box of fresh bananas from Whole Foods.
22
@Catherine Check your local community centers and hospital outreach programs. Some have weight training classes for seniors. Not the same, of course, as personal one-on-one, but may be sufficient. The instructors may also offer private or small group instruction separately for much less than at a gym.
8
@Marty - I go to the gym fairly regularly - there are many members happy to help others learn to lift if they ask, lots of friendly people.
7
Fascinating!
I regularly visit my town's Y, sometimes 4-5 days a week. I'm 63, and have been for 7 years now. It doesn't help so much with weight control but I have added a surprising amount of muscle mass. And, mainly, the more regularly I exercise, including weight training, the better I feel. Sure, joints ache from it, but there's liniment and Advil for that.
But what I see there, during the week days, is mainly seniors, many much older than me, many in far worse shape. Some can barely walk. Some look like fragile twigs and others are obese. But they come. And they lift weights, whether it's free weights or machines. Sometimes one will comment on the weight I'm lifting and my answer is always: It's not a race or a contest, but a journey.
I see the changes in people who have been coming for years, and it's always for the better. Frequently, folks don't even know that they've changed even when complimented on it.
One woman, whom everyone admires, has a debilitating wasting disease, and no longer uses a walker but is pushed by her husband. But her upper body is still strong, though thin, and her will and spirit is indomitable. She goes from machine to machine, painfully pulling herself to and from her chair to the next machine. I fully believe without her 3-4 days a week routine she wouldn't be with us.
Yeah, it's boring and it can hurt, but it's benefits far outweigh the boredom and charlie-horse!
129
@Dadof2
Are you slyly saying you're really 70?
9
@tomP
I think he’s 63 “and” has been visiting his mom’s gym for 7 years.
But it’s a puzzle...
3
@TheraP
LOL! I'm 63 and been GOING to my local YMCA for 7 years! Grammar-challenged, I guess!
My mom passed 5 years ago from Alzheimer's. Her last 3 years were like she fell off a cliff. Very sad to watch. She was always careful about what she ate, did a lot of swimming until she couldn't.
5
As someone who trains for power lifting in their early 70's, I add a few observations and questions:
Q: It seems quite easy to increase muscle mass but far more difficult to increase strength. Perhaps the neurological component of strength is what is somehow lagging? I can't find anything in the literature about this. Is it because the sample size is too small?
Obs: Very little info about the actual exercise program given in the article. What I see is that older people, esp females, don't try hard enough to increase strength in a systematic way. Recalling what Ahnuld famously said ... or the title of the useful early book on training, "Only the Strong Shall Survive."
17
@KBD
The mass is reached through higher weights and lower reps. Strength is the opposite: lower weights and higher reps.
19
@pewter Not true. To get stronger you must progressively lift heavier weights.
4
I'd like to see some studies of correlation with bone density. Are there any preventative measures to take for age related frailty.
24
@br From what I have read, weight lifting can increase bone density. I've been trying to get my dad to lift to no avail.
7
@br, diet might help improve bone density; e.g.: "Soy foods are associated with improved markers of bone health and improved outcomes, especially among Asian women...dietary pattern evidence suggests that regular consumption of soy foods is likely to be useful for optimal bone health as an integral part of a dietary pattern that is built largely from whole plant foods." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3383497/) There are many other references supporting this conclusion.
Soy foods contain phytoestrogens, which are SERMs, (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators), which means they can have anti-estrogen effects (such as in breast cells, which may help prevent breast cancer or a recurrence) and estrogen-like effects in other tissues (such as bone, where they may help increase bone density).
Look up Dr Loren Fishman’s 12 yoga exercises—his research supports the benefits to those losing bone density.
3