Is weight training necessary for older people?

Q: I read your column every week and I notice you write about a variety of topics, but one thing is definitely for sure, you are a big fan of weight training. I used to lift weights when I was younger but at 60 years of age I’m not sure if it’s right for me anymore. What’s your opinion on weight training for someone my age? Is it really necessary?

A: I believe weight training is an ageless sport because you’re never too old to get started. I also believe most people age prematurely because they don’t stay active. In fact, George Bernard Shaw explained it best when he wrote, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing,” and there’s a lot more truth to this than most people realize.

Anyone who’s ever broken a bone and had to wear a cast can certainly understand this principle. When a broken bone is sealed in a cast, it’s isolated and doesn’t move at all for a long time, to allow it to heal. The only problem is after a couple of weeks of inactivity the muscle around the injured bone becomes smaller, weaker and less mobile. This is called atrophy. When the cast comes, off the bone may be healed, but it will take months to get the muscles back in shape again.

Now compare this scenario to the lifestyle of the average aging American. As people become older, they become more sedentary, because they work so hard that when they get home all they want is to sit down and watch their favorite TV show. They are less active because technology does most physical labor for them and there is less time to spend outdoors walking or exercising, so they end up spending most of their day anchored to a desk staring at a computer or with a television controller glued to their hand.

With each passing year their muscles begin to shrink and become weak and less mobile. They start feeling aches and pains they never noticed before, and before you know it they’re in the worst shape of their life and have no idea how they got there. Since lean muscle tissue helps the body burn fat, the loss of muscle is replaced with 20-30 pounds of extra body fat. In a way their whole body has experienced atrophy - loss of muscle, strength and mobility - from lack of activity. Depressing, right? Well, not so fast; there is one way to reverse this whole process, and it starts with good old-fashioned strength training.

I like to call weight lifting the great equalizer because it’s never too late to get started, and a good program can stall the aging process by keeping the muscles active and challenged. Instead of getting weaker and less mobile, working out will help you maintain strength, balance, endurance and posture.

It can also reduce injuries and help prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. Not a bad investment for people who would like to enjoy their golden years with the best possible healthcare plan.

So if you think weight training isn’t for you, guess again. I’d suggest it to anyone who would like to enjoy better quality of life.