Although it has always been known, in recent years there has been a great diffusion and coverage, especially on social networks, of physical exercise as the best preventive measure to fight against pathologies and risk factors associated with the elderly. We refer to conditions such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, type 2 diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
In this article we want to explain the benefits that physical exercise can have, especially strength training, as we get older.
Improvements in body composition
Enjoying a better body composition is not an aesthetic issue, or at least not only aesthetic. As we get older we undergo a series of changes, especially at the hormonal level, so we tend to accumulate more fat and lose muscle mass.
This is something that is usually fed back with sedentary lifestyle, which increases as we get older and our pace of life becomes more contemplative.
In addition, we also experience a decrease in the basal metabolic rate that is not only explained by the decrease in muscle mass but also because the mass and metabolic rate of some organs are decreased compared to younger people. There are estimates that the basal metabolic rate decreases per decade by 5% in men and 3% in women.
The practice of physical exercise in general and strength training in particular is capable of slowing down these processes significantly.
Keeping osteoporosis at bay
Before we have mentioned how sedentary lifestyle is usually a trend as people get older. This lack of activity causes our bones to no longer receive the stimuli that they received before and that induced their strengthening.
The two main stimuli that our bones need to enjoy good bone mineral density are traction and compression stimuli. In the first case we could talk about the pulling force that a muscle exerts on a bone when it contracts with force like when we train with weights, for example. In the second case we could talk about the compression our bones feel when they bear impacts or simply our body weight when running.
Be that as it may, maintaining the quality of our bone mass throughout our lives is our responsibility, which includes combining the practice of aerobic exercise or simply various sports and the practice of strength or bodybuilding training.
Run away from sarcopenia or degeneration of muscle tissue
It is estimated that as we get older we lose around 1-2% of muscle mass per year. This loss of muscle mass can become something pathological and is related to other conditions such as osteoporosis. Sarcopenia suffering it is one of the causes that most determines the lack of autonomy and quality of life in elderly people.
In addition, it is established that those with low levels of muscle mass suffer more complications when they undergo operations or surgeries.
That said, we do not have to say that physical exercise, especially strength, is the best preventive measure we have to avoid this pathology. A person trained throughout his life will enjoy greater self-reliance and quality of life at the end of it. It is not that we live many years, but that our years are full of life.
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