At this moment, you have two choices. You can continue the

process of becoming weaker, day by day, as your muscles

atrophy from disuse. Or you can choose to become stronger

and to maintain your strength and independence as long as

possible.

After we reach maturation at about age 30, we begin the

long process of aging as we lose half a pound of muscle

each year--unless we work at keeping that muscle from

atrophying. This choice is even more critical as we reach

our 60s and 70s and the process of becoming weaker

accelerates.

Strength training --strength exercise--is one of the best

methods to retain muscle. Its definition is “moving the

muscles dynamically against resistance—usually weights

or body weight—to strengthen muscles, bones and

connective tissues.” Strength training is also called “weight

lifting” or “resistance training.” The goal is to cause muscles

to increase in size and strength, and also to increase

tendon, bone, and ligament strength. If you are over 70

years of age, you have probably never lifted weights. And you

may not know that doing so can help retard the aging

process in your body

.

Before 1900, strength training was thought to be a form of

exercise that was not meant for the average person. It was

believed that weight training would actually diminish athletic

abilities and the only men who lifted weights were circus

strongmen.

In the 1930s, athletes began to experiment with weight

lifting and now every professional sports team has trainers

on staff and almost all athletes lift weights in order to

perform better in the sport of their choosing.

However, until the 1980s it was still believed that loss of

muscle and strength as people got older was inevitable and

nothing could be done about it. Strength training programs

for older participants placed them on a program of lifting

weights that were only one-half as heavy as the maximum

they could lift one time. Younger participants lifted at least

80 percent of the amount they could lift only once, but it was

believed that using heavier weights for older people would

cause injuries or cardiac problems.

In the late 1980s scientists at Tufts University in Boston,

Massachusetts decided to strength train a group of

volunteers—men in their sixties and seventies—at a higher

intensity than had ever been done before. They worked the

volunteers at 80 percent of their capacity—and the results

shattered myths about aging. There were no injuries or

cardiac episodes. In twelve weeks, the muscles they had

been exercising became 10 to 12 percent larger and 100 to

175 percent stronger.

These results inspired another researcher to work with the

frail elderly in a nursing home environment. Six men and

four women volunteered for this program, ranging in age

from 86 to 96. In eight weeks, they increased their strength

by an average of 175 percent. Two participants discarded

their canes because they didn’t need them any more.

From this research has evolved a new interest in weight

lifting—strength training—for older adults. But it is more

than merely a new interest—it offers older adults an

alternative to the expected decrease in physical abilities and

susceptibilities to illnesses and injuries. In other words,

seniors now have hope of remaining strong and

independent as they age. The downward spiral to the

nursing home can be bypassed or at least delayed.

I became interested in weight lifting for older adults when I

decided to become a certified personal trainer. I researched

the various organizations who offered certifications and

chose International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

because they stressed weight lifting. I attended the two-day

training, passed the test and received my certificate.

I loved lifting weights--seeing my arm muscles become

defined and my body become firmer. I decided to share this

with other older adults, so I contacted a local continuing

education program for seniors and asked if they offered a

class on weight lifting. The answer was “no,” so I submitted

a proposal for a class which was accepted.

The first class had only a handful of participants, but it was

offered again the next quarter and more people signed up.

Attendance continued to grow. I had originally envisioned

that people would take the eight-week class to learn how to

work out at home. But soon I had a core of class members

who signed up each quarter. They enjoyed the camaraderie

and encouragement of the class. They began to tell me how

strength training was changing their lives. Ordinary tasks

that had been difficult were now easy. Women told me that

they could lift bags of top soil from their vehicles without

having to wait for help. Shoulders became less painful;

knees didn’t hurt so much.

To continue learning about working with older adults, I set

up a pilot program at a local assisted living home. The

residents there experienced the same results: stronger

legs, increased independence, improved self-esteem.

Most exercise programs for “senior citizens” are done while

seated in a chair. I do not know when or where this idea

came from, but it remains prevalent. I am thankful that I

never learned how to teach exercise this way.

Because I was a personal trainer, I designed my workout

from a trainer’s point of view using strength training

principles and from the information I received from Tufts

University. I had class members do squats, ballet squats,

side kicks (lift the leg out to the side) and mule kicks (lift the

leg up behind the body). These exercises use only body

weight. With dumbbells we did overhead presses, two-arm

upright rows, biceps curls and triceps extensions. And I

encouraged them to move up in weight as they became

stronger.

Often women are afraid to lift weights because they think

they will get huge muscles--but that doesn’t happen to

females. What does happen is that the “bat wings” hanging

below their upper arms become firmer and less saggy.

Another concern is that they will have to get hot and sweaty

while they exercise. But doing a simple strength routine with

light and medium weights doesn’t have that result, either.

Many people who are unfamiliar with the concept of strength

training are hesitant to venture into this unknown arena.

They tell me that they are afraid they won’t do the exercises

correctly and may injure themselves. Others say “I know I

should exercise, but I’m just too lazy” or “I worked hard all

my life and I’m not ever doing anything hard again.”

I am asking you to reconsider this attitude and investigate

strength exercise. My web site www.strongover40.com

contains much information about aging as does my book

“Over 40 & Gettin’ Stronger” It also has instructions on how

to do a simple workout using inexpensive dumbbells that

you can buy at a discount store such as Walmart.

Why not grow old with a strong body?

Phyllis Rogers is a senior citizen certified as a Specialist in

Fitness for Older Adults and as a Certified Fitness Trainer.

She has taught over 1500 strength classes for older adults.

She has developed an easy to learn strength training

workout which is described in her book “Over 40 & Gettin’

Stronger.” You can order this book by mailing a check for

$23.95 (which includes shipping) to P O Box 4912, Marietta,

GA 30061. E-mail her at fitness9@mindspring.com. Her

web site is: http://www.StrongOver40.com