I’m getting a malware warning from this link.
Or jogging. It is by far the most time-efficient and accessible exercise.
More grist. (Gift link may have limits.)
Exercise strongly improves well-being—thanks, in part, to the positive effects on three neurochemicals that are associated with mood balance. These are the brain-derived neurotropic factor (which is lower in people with depression), serotonin (which modulates anxiety and mood), and beta-endorphin (a natural pain-managing peptide). Researchers have found that all forms of exercise are good for stimulating these neurochemical systems, but aerobic activity seems to have the strongest influence.
Not sure if I am completely convinced but a case made specifically for heavy to very heavy strength training in “older” (defined as a youthful over 60 years old) adults:
And defining heavy‐very heavy strength training as 80–84 and ≥ 85% of one repetition maximum, respectively. Basically last perfect form rep after four reps and several minutes rest between sets.
It convinces me of safety and efficacy just not of superiority compared to the more usual guidance of moderate weights in the 8 to 15 rep range. Or better yet mixing it up.
This article on the efficacy of strength training for lowering dementia risk was shared in thread much earlier on. But more evidence of is good to put out there! Here’s another similar bit.
Personally I am even more keen to avoid cognitive disability than physical disability.
Aerobic also works!
Odds are that combined is best yet.
Why don’t I lift weights? Because it’s freaking unpleasant. I mean, I actually do lift weights, because I see a personal trainer every week and do strength training. But I hate it. I just finished a session, and I spent most of the session wondering how much longer I had to do this. It’s hot and sweaty and tiring. It’s boring. The amazing thing to me is that there are people who enjoy doing this.
One big downside of heavy lifting at 60+ is the risk of injury. I’m not sure it would really be worth the benefit in the long run. Perhaps if you had been lifting regularly had the genetics which allowed you to lift heavy even when you got older it would be okay, but I would think most older people would end up with injuries which might be long-term or mean they’d have to take days off.
This is from my own perspective. I used to do weightlifting regularly, but in my late 50’s I started having more aches and pains after the workout. I was just doing my normal weights. I think it was that my body was having age related declines which made it harder to do heavy weight workouts. I still do weight workouts, but they are much lighter than what I used to do. If I try to increase the weight too much, I’ll have nagging pains that last much longer than they used to when I was younger. Now when I workout, I have to consciously think about how to workout in a way that doesn’t cause lasting pain.
Back to gym after about 6 months out…
Due to various episodes (changing jobs, moving house, having my locker broken into at my old gym…), I stopped working out, and stopped taking protein or creatine for the last ~6 months. And even 6 months ago I had fallen out of the rhythm a bit. I’m 46 years old.
I started working out again this week and it was a real shock to the system. The amount I could lift on almost all weights was down about 30%. On my last set on the bench, I was struggling to put the bar back up and someone came and helped me – which was more embarrassing by the fact that it was an absolutely trivial amount of weight by that point. But I really was at the point where I could barely push the door open to leave.
The next day the muscles I’d worked out all nicely ached. As someone who has worked out for years, I know the difference between straining a muscle and the nice ache that indicates muscle growth. So I’m looking forward to regaining my old shape; we’ll see where the limit is now I’m approaching 50.
The claim from the article is that despite what we may think it actually is safe.
Strength training with heavy‐very heavy loads, near 1RM, in frail and diseased individuals may seem counterintuitive and unsafe. However, this assumption is unsupported by the literature. In the last three decades, with a convincing number of publications in recent years, studies have demonstrated that heavy strength training in frail and diseased populations is safe and highly effective to improve strength outcomes and functional performance (see Table S1: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25211180) [60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65], even among the oldest‐old [66]. It is important to note that loads are relative to the individual’s maximal strength, and as such, in frail and diseased populations, 90% of 1RM may only amount to leg press or squat training with loads similar, or even less than, an individual’s bodyweight in the beginning of a training period [64, 67]. In such cases, performing strength training with sufficient load is of upmost importance to decrease the overall load during everyday tasks.
Importantly, if the heavy‐very heavy loads and maximal intended velocity of movement is limited to the concentric phase during the execution of repetitions, the risk of injuries is considerably reduced [68]. … heavy‐very heavy strength training should be performed with a slow, controlled eccentric movement phase and preferably a controlled pause in the movement prior to concentric action but can safely include maximal intended velocity in the concentric phase
My issue more is that the author is focused on strength and power, important to be sure, but less on hypertrophy/prevention of muscle loss (sarcopenia) which is also important.
Beyond that my sense is that which strength training approach is used matters much much less than that any strength training protocol is used. Even just a little bit.
Both having muscle and being strong are both associated with longevity. Lifting weights may be unpleasant for some, but it is helpful for reducing stress and health and it can be addictive to see gains in strength and mood, as well as physical appearance.
That said, most people think trying to set a new record every time one lifts, and lifting close to 100% of what one can lift, is the best ways to gain strength. It isn’t. If you are not competing, most lifts should be in the 60-85% zone. If you are lifting at 100%, so can only do one rep, this is not enough volume to be ideal for building muscle. That said, I agree that elderly people can lift 100% of their ability reasonably safely. It should still only be done on an occasional basis.
Dunno about that. I’m about to take a nap, probably because i was stressed by working out this morning.
I’m sold that it’s good for your health to maintain strength. I just don’t see it as anything other than an unpleasant chore. It’s good to empty the litter box every day, too. But i don’t enjoy it.
How you feel is how you feel. Lifting weights is a lot of work, even if you don’t mind doing it.
This article (gift link followed by normal link, to same article) gives several common sense tips, but I will post it anyway. I half-think I posted it back in April.
Excerpt
New research has identified 17 overlapping factors that affect your risk of stroke, dementia and late-life depression, suggesting that a number of lifestyle changes could simultaneously lower the risk of all three.
Though they may appear unrelated, people who have dementia or depression or who experience a stroke also often end up having one or both of the other conditions, said Dr. Sanjula Singh, a principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital and the lead author of the study. That’s because they may share underlying damage to small blood vessels in the brain, experts said.
Some of the risk factors common to the three brain diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes, appear to cause this kind of damage. Research suggests that at least 60 percent of strokes, 40 percent of dementia cases and 35 percent of late-life depression cases could be prevented or slowed by controlling risk factors.
“Those are striking numbers,” said Dr. Stephanie Collier, director of education in the division of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. “If you can really optimize the lifestyle pieces or the modifiable pieces, then you’re at such a higher likelihood of living life without disability.”
There are many many many ways to maintain and build strength and muscle mass other than traditional weightlifting. I’m not seeing any need to stick with the one that you feel is an unpleasant chore. Personally I’d play with trying other approaches. May “flow” work with clubs like @Wolf333 brought up early on, or steel mace, or kettlebells, or other activities that require skill progression as part of the process, will be, if not fun at least less unpleasant? If I recall correctly you square dance? That is great exercise!
I don’t think that weightlifting is the only way to get the gains. Just a very effective one as part of a mix.
I never made or thought about the connection between strength training and cognitive health, but I will say this. I started strength training back in April. A very modest regime of 10 min twice a week. My Sudoku game went from hard to expert, to extreme. Another thing I just thought of. Most of my Scrabble partners are just a tad better than I am. Maybe 60/40 on the wins. I have reversed that during the same time period, and I have been playing Scrabble and Sudoku for years. I am now thinking there is a connection. Also, my copd seems to have vanished.
There are many many many ways to maintain and build strength and muscle mass other than traditional weightlifting. I’m not seeing any need to stick with the one that you feel is an unpleasant chore. Personally I’d play with trying other approaches. Maybe “flow” work with clubs like @Wolf333 brought up early on, or steel mace, or kettlebells, or other activities that require skill progression as part of the process, will be, if not fun at least less unpleasant? If I recall correctly you square dance? That is great exercise!
I don’t think that weightlifting is the only way to get the gains. Just a very effective one as part of a mix.
(Had tried to edit late and it erased so reposted instead. Sorry about that. )
Oh, the dancing is definitely good for my health, and it’s fun. It’s mild aerobic exercise, it requires good reflexes, good balance, and it combines thinking and moving. (I do various types of square dance, some of which are more energetic and others are more puzzle-solving-as-a-team sport. I think both have obvious health benefits.) Contra dancing is getting to be rough on my knees, but it’s very good aerobic exercise, and fun.
But I do think I need to do strength exercises, even if I don’t expecially like it. I’ve reached the age where if you don’t use it you lose it, and just lugging around bags of catfood when needed isn’t enough to maintain my strength. But I was doing pushups this morning (which isn’t technically lifting, but I’m heavy, and I’m lifting my weight) and thinking about this thread.
It still is a worthy digression - to those who dislike traditional weightlifting/machine work but see the need for resistance exercise as part of your mix, for strength, for function, for muscle mass be that for prevention of sarcopenia or vanity or both, for healthspan, what and whichever - any brainstorming other than “suck it up”? What options suck less for you?
I think we should count kettlebells as part of the traditional group at this point.
Strength training can absolutely be a pull-up bar, kettlebell, well chosen bodyweight exercises (see Sean Bartram’s High Intensity Training books for Men or Women), anything. Pushups are particularly useful for the chest and triceps and absolutely are a form of strength training.
I am partial to weights and gyms. Doing half an hour once a week is dramatically better than nothing; two such weekly sessions could be enough for many people.
Yeah I sorta expect that those who are turned off by traditional weightlifting are not likely to find the standard body weight training sets to be much more appealing?
I suspect there’s a group of folk who almost need to not think of what they are doing as strength training per se? They are doing something else that is fun for them that happens to result in some strength training along the way … ?
Sure. And there’s no doubt if you enjoy doing something you do it for longer. Strength seems to be important, but so is balance and flexibility for mobility, and endurance for constitution.
Point is, I don’t know what type of strength training someone prefers. I like the gym environment and weights. People who find that intimidating, expensive or unavailable for whatever reason might like doing pistol squats at home. Some are motivated by group classes of people lifting weights. Some like the challenge and comeraderie of CrossFit. Others just like to swim. Or do yoga or gymnastics, which have plenty of moves requiring strength and balance. There is a lot of flexibility to strength training - whatever you call it.