There’s No Age Limit to Start Strength Building Exercises
There’s a persistent misconception that muscle and strength building is
dangerous or simply ineffective for older adults. Busting this myth is a
new study from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom,
which found that the ability to build muscle isn't lowered due to lack
of experience, so even if you start exercising in your 60’s or 70’s, you
can build up muscle mass as effectively as an experienced athlete. Here
is what the study found and how to start your exercise regimen in your
golden years.
Muscle Building Exercise is Equally Effective for Senior Beginners and Master Athletes
Building muscle strength is a tedious task at any age, but the benefits
by far outweigh the costs, like frailty, muscle weakness and an
unsupported skeletal system can all be dealt with just through a few
hours of regular weekly training. Though young individuals are at an
advantage compared to older adults when it comes to exercise intensity
and muscle building, another factor, experience, doesn’t seem to make
you get stronger faster, the new study shows.
The research team compared athletes with 20+ years of experience in
sports to a group of beginners of a similar age and found that both
groups have built muscles identically well. The average age of the
experienced athletes was 68 years, whereas the beginners averaged at 73
years.
Of course, the researchers exposed both groups to an identical diet and
exercise routine to avoid possible confounds and measured each
participant’s muscle-building progress by conducting regular biopsies
every 48 hours that showed how much protein buildup was created in the
muscle tissue. The researchers found no difference in protein synthesis
between the two groups, concluding that novice athletes built muscle
strength equally as well as the pros.
Needless to say, regular exercising starting from a younger age provides
additional health benefits and is a preventative method for many health
conditions, but in general, the study proves that ‘better late than
never’ is the motto to follow when it comes to exercise.
Should Seniors Approach Exercise Differently to Youngsters?
Starting an exercise routine for the first time is a difficult endeavor
no matter your age, but the possibility of pre-existing conditions, more
common among seniors than young adults, further complicates this task.
On average, the starting point for older individuals is a lower
intensity exercise, and some pre-existing conditions may require further
accommodations to your training regimen, so it’s best to start under
the supervision of a trainer, doctor, or both.
The complexity of the workout is also an important factor, and it’s best to start slow and simple so as not to overwhelm your body and mind, and stay motivated and inspired before each workout.
The third and last, but still very important factor to consider is
consistency. Training consistently is more important than going to the
gym for an hour or more, and so shorter, but more regular training
sessions will benefit seniors more than demanding long training
routines.