weights and bands

If there is an image that defines a retired population in our country It’s about going for a walk. Globally we have become obsessed with 10,000 steps, with moving and with adding minutes of aerobic activity to enjoy supposed benefits such as lowering cholesteroltension or having diabetes more controlled. But there is something that we are leaving aside to have a much healthier old age.

In medical consultations it is quite common for patients to be recommended a change in their lifestyle habits in order to keep their chronic pathologies at bay. But in many cases this is limited to just taking a walk, since it is something easy, accessible and excellent for cardiovascular health. The problem is that it has become the collective imagination, the only solution, especially for those over 60 years of age.

And it is something that I have seen how they defend tooth and nail, categorically stating that they do sports as their doctor tells them. The problem is that doing strength exercises is where the real magic is (and we’re not talking about lifting in bench press 100 kg at 70 years old).

The recommendation. International health guides have long been betting on a paradigm shift in our conception of sport at certain ages. The WHO itself is blunt in this case: those over 65 need between 150 and 300 minutes a week of aerobic activity (such as brisk walking), but must also include “muscle strengthening activities involving large muscle groups 2 or more days per week.”

And it is not an optional addition. It is a pillar with specific benefits that cardio alone cannot provide.

What walking is not going to give us. The key difference between walking and doing gentle strength training with weights or elastic bands is progressive loading. It must be understood that our muscles and bones only become stronger when they are forced to resist a load greater than what they are accustomed to. If we leave them static without straining them, what happens is the dreaded atrophy, that is, the loss of muscle mass.

Stop sarcopenia. As they point out scientific reviewsstrength training 2-3 times a week is the most effective tool to counteract the loss of muscle mass. And a loss of muscle means greater fragility for patients and therefore a greater risk of falling, which at advanced ages leads to a higher rate of bone fractures and a greater probability of being ‘confined’ to a bed.

Stronger bones. Another very important factor in this case is the bone mineralization. A relevant point, especially in women who are menopausal and who have lost the protection that estrogen provides and that leads to osteoporosis. Estrogens are an excellent regulator of bone turnover that, when lost, prioritizes the loss of substance.

Better balance. The research is clear in differentiating domains. While aerobic exercise such as walking is superior for cardiorespiratory capacity, strength stands out in dynamic balance and postural control. As a study in PLS ONE details, walking is not a substitute for strength at these critical points to prevent falls.

Neuroprotection. And although we focus on the fact that sport is good for our muscles and bones (which is also good), we must not forget about our brain. There are many studies which specifically point out that having good muscle mass is related to a much greater release of myokines.

Myokines are nothing more than a group of proteins that have a direct function on the brain to improve cognitive function, neurogenesis and protect the brain from cognitive deterioration, which are very important points in order to reach aging in better conditions and even benefits in terms of slow the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The consensus. From the WHO, to the CDC, or the British NHS, they point to the same thing: walking is healthy, but it must be complemented. The most successful interventions to maintain autonomy in the elderly, according to reviews of PMCare multimodal programs: those that combine aerobic, strength and balance. The specific recommendations to combat fragility are clear: 2-3 weekly strength sessions (with progressive intensity, from 40% to 80% of the maximum repetition) and balance work.

That is why the recipe for having the healthiest possible old age is clear: maintain walks of 150-300 minutes per week, and add 2 or 3 sessions of strength exercises per week for complete work without leaving aside the balance that should have 3 sessions per week.

Images | Yishen Ji Center for Aging Better

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