In 2006 a trial was conducted at Balmain Hospital in Sydney’s inner west to investigate the benefit of weight training for people in older age groups. The youngest of these people was 42 and the oldest was 102, they worked out three times a week for a six week period under the supervision of instructors. During their Progressive Resistance Training (PRT) the test subjects not only became measurably stronger with measurably larger muscles, they also reported feeling happier and more energised. All the people in the study wanted to keep doing the training because it made them feel so much better.
Progressive resistance training is basically about starting off using lighter weight exercises that you can manage without straining, as your strength increases the weights are also increased so you continue to experience a net increase in your strength.
The study was a revelation for those who participated, they were not a bunch of former elite athletes regaining some of their lost glory, they were a bunch of ordinary people who were curious enough to try. The results proved to these people that resistance training is not the exclusive domain of the young. Just so long as your form (lifting posture) is good and the weight you are lifting is heavy enough for you to feel like you are making an effort but not so heavy you are struggling to stay in control of the lift you can get results.
It doesn’t really matter if you are motivated by vanity or ego the important thing is that you do the exercise, get fit and protect yourself against some of the age-related health hazards we read about in health media. By reducing your body fat and increasing your muscle tone you can much better reduce the chance of getting cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Increasing your muscular strength may encourage you to diet better and increase your water intake too, once you start to feel the improvements in your health the new things you learn as you go can give you a whole new lease on life, some of the things you have been unable to enjoy for some time may become achievable again.
If you feel sufficiently ashamed by the knowledge that a 102 year old could find the time, motivation and energy to do regular weight training that you could not, good, the next thing to do is get a fitness plan. Even if you think you know how to exercise get advice because the last time you were really fit, ideas (and your capabilities) may have changed. A personal trainer your own age may be more on your wave length and know first hand what should work for you. It is also important that the person giving you advice is equpped with the lastest and best knowledge, is first aid trained, satisfactorily answers your questions and is focused and interested in what you are doing.
You don’t have to be young to be fit, you just have to be motivated. With more and more people working till their 70’s because they cannot afford to retire it has never been more important for seniors to exercise.