We all know that with aging comes decreases and increases in our bodies. Unfortunately, the decreases are usually related to good things that we don’t want to lose, and the increases are usually related to the bad things getting worse. Put simply, we lose a lot of the good/ essential components to our physicality and gain the bad components. e.g. loss of muscle/ increase in fat/ adipose tissue. Typically, as we age, the following happens:
- Loss of muscle mass
- Decrease in CO (cardiovascular) output and function
- Decrease in balance
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of eyesight
- Loss of flexibility
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Loss of hair
- Increase in fat mass (especially visceral fat)
- Increase of incidents in most cancers
- Increase risk of falling
- Increase in incidents of dementia (now the leading cause of death in Australia)
This is only a snippet of what happens. Unfortunately, there is much more. So what do we know about slowing down the effects of ageing? Well it starts with two very simple factors: 1) regular exercise and 2) a good diet.
We are going to focus on the first one: REGULAR EXERCISE
FACTS: Specific benefits of Exercise for Ageing:
Exercise and physical functions help maintain muscle mass, and both strength and power, which decline with age.
Cognitive Function: reduces the risk of cognitive decline, including Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Mental Health: improves mood, reduces stress and promotes well-being.
Longevity: minimizes the physiological effects of a sedentary lifestyle and limits the development and progression of chronic diseases including the two big one’s – cancer and heart disease.
Improved Sleep: helps regulate sleep patterns and quality
Fall Prevention: improves balance and coordination and drastically reduces the risk of falls – which has become the leading cause of emergency admissions.
Social Engagement: provides increased opportunities for social interactions and engagement -especially in group settings.
Body Composition: improves our ability to keep muscles and bone integrity and reduces fat gain.
Therefore, exercise is a no-brainer to help prolong the ageing process. We all know the benefits of aerobic/cardio training – It is well-documented. But what about resistance training (RT). More and more evidence, (through research) shows us the tremendous benefits involved with RT and ageing. Here are the main ones in no particular order:
Combating Sarcopenia:
Sarcopenia is a natural part of ageing and actually begins at around 30 years of age (give or take a few years). The main problem is more than just muscle loss – we tend to lose more muscle in our lower body than upper body (loss of balance and increase in fall risks) and we tend to lose our fast twitch fibres first (our power fibres) which also effects balance and being able to react quickly to everyday issues, like crossing the roads.
Improved Functional Capacity:
By maintaining and sometimes improving muscle strength and power, daily activities become easier with improvement in mobility and balance. This has a tremendous effect on well-being as the older population can do more things for longer and more often.
Reduced Risk of Falls and Fractures:
Stronger muscles improve balance. They also improve and maintain bone strength. So, the risk of falls, and the associated consequences of falling, are reduced.
Enhanced Cognitive Function:
Can improve cognitive function and more and more research is suggesting that dementia onset (the biggest cause of death in Australia especially among older people) can be delayed primarily due to increases in blood flow especially to the brain through exercise.
Improved Cardiovascular Health:
Can lead to the lowering of blood pressure due to increases in cardiac function. Cardiovascular disease is still a leading cause of death in Australia and its financial cost to the Australian taxpayer is staggering.
Increased Metabolism:
When we increase muscle mass and reduce fat mass we get an increase in metabolic rate. This means that when we damage muscle cells during RT Sessions, the repair at night when we sleep requires greater energy therefore, increasing metabolic rate.
Potential Genetic Reward:
Some new research suggests that we can possibly reverse the ageing process at the genetic level influencing the genes associated in ageing and muscle function. Still in its early stages.
Positive Effects on Type I and II Diabetes:
Type II diabetes or Lifestyle Diabetes is almost 100% preventable. Type I is genetic. RT uses glucose/ glycogen as the main fuel source, therefore, reducing blood sugar levels and reducing the need for extra insulin.
In conclusion, Exercise is critical in slowing down the ageing process. Aerobic training, resistance training and flexibility training should all be a part of an older person’s lifestyle. And remember RT (resistance training) doesn’t have to be weights – it can include machines, bands, straps and our own body weight.
A combination of all three training modalities is highly recommended by this author. So let’s get stuck into it!