What is the best exercise to gain muscle mass after 60 years of age?

A balanced diet and regular physical activity are essential to maintain muscle strength and prevent future sarcopenia (Illustrative Image Infobae)

As life expectancy increases around the world, one of the great challenges is to age healthily and achieve a full and productive longevity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthy aging as the process of promoting and maintaining functional capacity which allows the well-being in old age.

To build that future, experts increasingly recommend training muscle strengthto face one of the threats of the passing of the years, sarcopenia. According to the United States Institute of Aging (NIA in English), this term derives from the Greek roots sarx (flesh) and penia (loss) and is defined as a decrease in the muscle mass, strength and function.

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Sarcopenia is related to weakness, fatigue, lower energy levels and difficulty standing, walking, and climbing stairs.

Low-frequency strength training was shown to be as effective as higher frequency for muscle improvements, the new study highlighted (Illustrative Image Infobae)

The good news is that a new study found that training of forcealso called resistance training (RT) can improve this condition by promoting beneficial changes in the muscle strength, skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and muscle quality.

According to the NIA, sarcopenia is often associated with older adults, but some forms can also affect middle-aged people. “It is more likely to occur in people with chronic diseases and can contribute to the risk of falls, fractures, other serious injuries and premature mortality. The poor nutrition and the lack of exercise may increase the chances of developing sarcopenia,” the institution stated.

The study compared the effects of 12 weeks of RT performed in two groups: one who trained 2 times per week (G2X) and the other 3 sessions per week (G3X). The researchers studied the Body composition, muscle strength, muscle quality and metabolic biomarkers in older women with sarcopenia before and after the intervention. The program included 8 exercises with a single set of 10-15 repetitions.

Practices such as yoga, tai chi and frequent walks are recommended by experts to improve balance, strength and prevent falls in the elderly (Illustrative image Infobae)

The results were that both groups increased total muscle strength 1-rep max (G2X = +20.4% and G3X = +21.0%). And both groups also increased skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (G2X = +4.0% and G3X = +7.0%).

Muscle quality improved in both groups (G2X = +16.7% and G3X = +13.6%).

In conclusion, “our results suggest that 12 weeks of RT performed at a lower weekly frequency is as effective as a higher frequency in improving muscle strength, SMM, and muscle quality in older women with sarcopenia,” the researchers said.

This finding is important for the exercise program planning in larger populations and for the prevention of sarcopeniathe main culprit of age-related loss of muscle mass and strength.

Experts recommend resistance exercises to combat sarcopenia, a condition that decreases muscle mass and strength, affecting the independence of older adults (Illustrative image Infobae)

“In general, muscle mass and strength They increase steadily from birth and peak around age 30 to 35 years old. Thereafter, muscle power and performance slowly decline and linearly at the beginning, and then faster after age 65 for women and 70 for menThese findings come from the NIA’s Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), the longest-running study of the human aging“explained the United States Institute on Aging.

While there is no way to “stop the clock” completely, many older adults can Increase your muscle strength with exercisewhich can help maintain mobility and independence in later life, the NIA said.

The NIA scientist Eric Shiromahas studied exercise science for years and is an advocate of activities that add an extra challenge to daily routinessuch as wearing a weighted vest or backpack while exercising.

Specialists insist on the importance of strengthening and aerobic exercises to maintain mobility and quality of life in older people (Illustrative image Infobae)

Strength or resistance training is different from aerobic exercisesas running, cycling or walking. He weight lifting, either with machines or free weightsis a type of resistance training.

Other types include the use of medicine balls or resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises, as push-ups, squats or yogaResistance training requires muscles to contract to lift a heavy object against the force of gravity.

“The more weight we carry, the faster our body burns reserves of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule that transports energy to the cells. When we lift weights or do other demanding exercises, our ATP stores are replenished by a complex and coordinated chemical and metabolic response that is transmitted throughout the body, including the activation of chemical changes short-term changes in the DNA of muscle tissue that make it more suitable for specific proteins that promote sugar and fat metabolism” NIA noted.

The scientist doctor Roger A. Fieldingassociate director of the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition and Aging Research Center at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) at Tufts University, and his colleagues have discovered that The best recipe for improving physical function and avoiding disability is a combination of walking and resistance training..

The ideal is to use different types of ankle weights and dumbbellsor adapt exercises as needed to use your own body weight.

Experts recommend walking while carrying weights: it can be a backpack or dumbbells (Illustrative image Infobae)

While strength training is great for older adults, what if they have overweight or obesity? The doctor Dennis T. Villareala professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, supported by the NIA, has discovered that Incorporating weight lifting into a diet and exercise intervention for older adults with obesity produces better results than diet or aerobic exercise alone.

• Practice tai chi and yoga. Exercises that incorporate mindfulness with balance and movement can improve strength and help prevent falls and related fractures.
• Take walks and move more. NIA experts recommend walking around the house or going out to do some shopping. At the office, you can take short breaks to exercise or stretch every 15 to 20 minutes.

Exercises such as yoga, which incorporate mindfulness with balance and movement, can improve strength (Illustrative image Infobae)

• Do as much physical activity as possible. There are many things that count as exercise – it doesn’t have to be running, going to the gym or riding a stationary bike. It can also be dancing, gardening or doing housework.
• Go out in a group. Exercising with other people is more motivating, as it produces greater adherence to the activity. However, other people prefer a solitary routine to clear their mind. Choose the option that makes you feel most comfortable.
• Set realistic goals“A good goal is to do about 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise per week, but benefits are seen even at lower levels. Older adults should aim to do strength training once or twice a week,” Fielding said.

The fundamental thing is start moving.

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