Aging gracefully…

“On the subject of exercise requirements, senior citizens need 

to let go of the idea that somehow, they’re different from 

the rest of the population because of their age.” 

 Doug McGuff, MD – Body By Science

I was rolling over in bed one night during the COVID and was struck by the fact it was taking some effort. Effort I had not remembered needing. I’m a good-sized animal with long limbs, all of which take coordination to move around. Moving them has been a matter of unconscious habit as long as I have lived in this space suit. It wasn't that I couldn't roll over...it was that I had to put previously unrecognized effort into the simple task. Now that I was aware, I noticed it on subsequent nights.

I was experiencing the insidious creep of musculoskeletal weakening, what we call in professional terms, sarcopenia – not a disease, but the normal loss of muscle mass that accompanies aging. 

Aging?!! What the heck!

Okay, I don’t think ‘I’ am getting older, but it seems my raiment is wearing out.

I also noticed the nights seemed a little nippier in the desert winters. That had not caught my attention because I enjoy a cooler environment – I usually put on another layer and am as comfy as can be. And yes, the temperature at night during the winter months in the desert southwest does require sweaters and jackets!

Some history…

Over the years, in addition to my professional clinical work, I gave untold numbers of presentations to senior citizens in a variety of venues, regarding the importance of exercise. In that day, the presentations covered stretching, strengthening, endurance, and balance. These people were usually north of 70 years. Generally, most folks shuffled slowly into the rooms with a small number using canes or walkers. But then there were always one or two that came with a bounce in their step. 

I always asked those ‘bounce steppers’ what accounted for their gait, balance, and apparent energy. Without exception over the years, the answer was that they strength trained.

Skeletal muscle, broadly considered an organ system, consists of more than six hundred fifty individual muscles in the body. They are the metabolic energy-producing engines that stabilize (think posture) and are responsible for all voluntary movement. Better muscle integrity – greater functional ability.

A little data…

The National Center for Health Services estimates only 26% of older Americans (65 yrs+) do regular exercise, despite recommendations by healthcare professionals for quality of life benefits. Of that group, most do aerobic (cardio) activity (e.g., walk, jog, swim, bike, etc.,). This isn’t much different than the general adult population (18 yrs+), where 25% percent of all adults over 18 actively exercise. Of that group (including seniors) 7% participate in resistance training, and yet, muscle mass is the only voluntarily active system in the body that permits movement freedom and increases overall bodily function! (Elgaddal N, Kramarow EA, Ruben C, Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020, NCHS Data Brief, no. 443, Aug 2020 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm). For context, the numbers in the CDC link have not changed in the forty years I have worked in health care. 

While strength training does not get the exposure aerobic (cardio) exercise does, many studies indicate older people not only can increase their strength/muscle mass and functional abilities but also lower resting blood pressure, increase bone density, manage body fat, increase aerobic (cardio) capacity, have better balance and regulation of body temperature. In some cases, resistance training also helps normalize blood lipid profiles and increases G.I. transit time. 

 Cardio exercise does not increase muscle mass and burns very few calories (100 calories per walking mile and a little more from jogging). Think of that donut (190-300 calories). There are 3,500 calories in a pound, so it doesn’t take much math to see endurance exercise by itself is not a successful weight management strategy. And, cardio exercise on its own does not increase muscle. An elderly man who has been a runner, has the leg muscle size of non-exercising peers (photo on right).  Strength training, on the other hand, increases muscle mass to help burn those calories more efficiently. A seventy-year-old man who has done regular strength training will have thigh muscle the size of a 40-year-old (graphic below left)…diet, of course is the key. 

The Pitch…

It is never too late to begin a resistance training program, regardless of age. If you are a senior reading this, you might be astounded at the functional improvements accompanying resistance training. Research has shown that even ninety-year-olds have displayed remarkable increases in function through supervised strength training.

It is true; in the end, our batteries run out. But resistance training can extend personal health and function much longer. If done properly, it is the best preventative medicine in which human beings can engage. Older people do not need to be treated with kid gloves. As long as strengthening is done carefully, their bodies will respond in positive ways.

Aging and reduction in function is inevitable, but the rate at which it happens is partly in our hands. For me? Independence as much as possible…as long as possible. 

-ted

* Note: Be sure to talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program