Title: Seniors Can Still Bulk Up On Muscle By Pressing Iron : NPR
Headings: Seniors Can Still Bulk Up On Muscle By Pressing Iron
Health
Seniors Can Still Bulk Up On Muscle By Pressing Iron
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Content: "The time in which we say that older adults can't do more exercise is long gone," he says. In Peterson's analysis of 39 studies, he found that among more than 1,300 adults over the age of 50, muscle mass could be increased by an average of nearly 2.5 pounds in just five months. Not only did that reverse any age-related muscle loss, it actually built lots of new muscle. Related research found the greater the intensity of weight-lifting programs, the more dramatic the outcomes. Adults who lifted the most weight boosted their upper and lower body strength by nearly a third. Applying The Research
Muscle strength and balance help prevent falls, one of the most common reasons seniors end up in the hospital. For sedentary adults who resolve to take up weight lifting, Peterson suggests starting slowly. You could actually begin by simply getting in and out of a chair. He says the ability to stand up out of a chair is much compromised after the age of 65 if people don't take part in resistance training. So, using one's own body mass as a dead weight is a "reasonable way to start."