Strength Training in the Elderly - What Significance Do Various Aspects Have

Frequent physical activity by adults and seniors can prevent premature death due to cardiovascular problems, cancer or diabetes. Various types of movement, regardless of their specificity, will have a positive impact on improving the quality of life. However, special attention should be paid to strength training, as it maintains body mobility, hence a model of this activity is increasingly being proposed for seniors. Older adults should consider introducing any type of physical activity, as we lose about 1% of muscle mass annually after the age of 40. Furthermore, aging is accompanied by a series of physiological processes that deteriorate performance and health status, leading to more frequent injuries and chronic diseases. The main factor influencing this is the loss of muscle mass and strength, known as sarcopenia, which mainly affects older adults and can worsen in cases of chronic diseases.

Strength training offers a number of health benefits and has a positive impact not only on younger but also older individuals. By subjecting the body to constant stress through resistance work, this has a beneficial effect on bones and joints. In a study conducted on women aged 50-70, it was investigated whether an annual training cycle strengthens the bone tissue of the participants, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis. It should be noted that the participants had a strong estrogen deficiency. After a year of strength training, which took place twice a week, the women recorded a significant increase in strength, muscle mass development, and improved bone density (Nelson et al., 1994). Similar studies were conducted on men aged 60-80, and the results also showed an increase in strength and muscle mass. Interestingly, despite engaging in strength training, participants also increased their aerobic endurance (McCartney et al., 1995). This means that people with low fitness can improve their cardiovascular fitness through resistance exercises. Strength training also plays a crucial role in preventing disability and improving vitality and overall emotional health. In one study conducted on both women and men, those who participated in a 10-week training cycle had reduced depressive states and improved sleep quality (Singh, Clements, Fiatarone, 1997). Weightlifting also improves mobility and flexibility throughout the body. Frequent problems experienced by older people with mobility are most likely due to insufficient muscle strength, causing individual body segments to not move within the full range they can control. However, it turns out that strength training can prevent this. In addition, work in the full range of motion serves as dynamic stretching. Interestingly, individuals with joint problems can not only increase their strength through resistance training but also reduce pain in the vicinity of a degenerated joint, thereby improving its mobility (Prado et al., 2010).

The strength training program should primarily be tailored individually – considering the trainees' abilities, their development stage, and overall health condition. Exemptions might be individuals who, regardless of their advanced age, do not manifest evident pathological traits and for whom escalated activity does not present a predicament. In such instances, the planning could assume a similar character to that of younger people at a comparative development level. Nevertheless, when devising the training plan, special emphasis should be placed on the selection of exercises, movement guidelines, and overall health. Initially, it should only be suggested to enhance the trainees' fitness level above the optimal fitness levels of the subsequent training sessions, as well as to the maximum fitness level that can be implemented in the ensuing exercise sessions.

As we age, our bodies undergo numerous biological changes that are characteristic of the aging process. These changes can affect various aspects of our health and body function, such as hormonal, metabolic, neurological, and behavioral changes, which can lead to a decline in overall well-being, including sarcopenia. However, resistance training can significantly reduce the occurrence of such problems, so older individuals should consider incorporating regular strength exercises into their routines. If we lead a less active lifestyle, age-related problems may arise much faster and more noticeably, such as a decline in motor, visual, and vestibular abilities. In such cases, there may be significant degradation in the quality of sensory and motor information transmission, decreased coordination, functional limitations, or a loss of balance, which can result in unsteady gait and increased risk of falls. Therefore, if we have no contraindications to physical activity, it is worth considering an adequate amount of exercise, particularly resistance training, which can contribute to improved overall fitness, increased strength and muscle mass, and maintenance of bone density.