At Core PT, we’ve seen seniors make incredible strides in their overall health by adding regular exercise. In fact, the health care industry has been steadily adding more physical therapists to prepare for the baby boomer generation entering their Golden Years. That’s why today, we’re going to debunk three myths about seniors and strength training:
MTYTH 1: There is no mind-body connection.
There was a phrase popular in Roman times, “Men sana in corpore sana,” which translates to “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” Studies have found that among older Americans, there is a direct correlation between aerobic, strength and stretching exercises and an improvement in cognitive function. There was even a benefit for seniors who were high-risk for developing dementia.
MYTH 2: You could hurt yourself.
Injuries can happen during exercise at any age, and there’s no proof that seniors are more prone to hurt themselves than other age groups when working out. The key is to not start at an intensity level that is higher than your fitness level. Jumping right into something without working towards it—or doing the proper stretching ahead of time—will cause injury no matter how old you are.
Another thing you should do before jumping into a new exercise regimen is to consult your physician to make sure your heart is healthy enough for a rigorous workout.
MYTH 3: You cannot gain muscle mass after a certain age.
While your body may lose ability in some areas as you get older, gaining muscle mass is not one of them! Strength training can benefit seniors in many ways, including improving mobility, balance and decreasing the risk for diseases such as Type II diabetes. One study showed that high-intensity resistance training (defined as above 60% of the one repetition maximum) caused large increase in strength in the elderly.
At Core PT, we’ve seen the benefits firsthand of senior citizens building their strength and endurance In addition to the above benefits, we’ve also seen a decrease in pain for patients of all ages when they start exercising more. If you’re ready to get to the core of your pain, give us a call today!