National Institute on Aging Reports:
Quick Summary
Age-related mobility limitations are a fact of life for many older adults. A big culprit for losing our physical abilities as we grow older is the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, which is called sarcopenia.
The decline of strength and power with aging can be substantially slowed down by maintaining an active lifestyle. Not only that, it’s possible for many older adults to increase muscle strength with exercise, which can help maintain mobility and independence into later life.
Key Points
- As we get older, there are inevitable functional and biological limitations that can cap exercise endurance, maximum strength, and fitness.
- Some of these limitations can be slowed down through an active lifestyle that includes strength training.
- Researchers aim to provide older adults with evidence-based advice on how regularly moving and challenging their muscles may help increase their years of optimal health.
- The best recipe for improving physical function and avoiding disability is a combination of walking and resistance training.
The article states:
When you do resistance or strength training, very important chains of molecules that relay signals between cells are affected, and these changes linger in the body for hours after exercise, building up a cumulative, positive effect. Even a low-intensity strength and walking program has substantial benefits.