Retirement should be filled with time to spend with loved ones, time to relax, and (according to new research) time to do hard work.
According to a study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, skeletal muscle function declines with age.
“If strength training is performed at this age, the benefits in some parameters may persist for several years,” said Mads Bloch-Evenfeldt, a doctoral student at the Institute of Sports Medicine at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, and lead author of the study.
To investigate whether a resistance exercise program has long-term benefits, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial in 369 healthy, recently retired adults aged 64 to 75 years.
Participants were assigned to one of three exercise programs for a year: they either did weightlifting three times a week, moderate-intensity training with body weight and resistance bands three times a week, or kept their usual exercise routine, according to the study.
In the study, researchers measured bone and muscle strength and body fat levels at the start of the study, at the end of the one-year program, and then again two and four years later. Participants were allowed to decide whether to continue strength training or return to their usual level of exercise.
Heavy-intensity strength training was the most effective for long-term improvements in leg strength, the study found. Four years after training, leg strength remained unchanged, but the moderate-intensity group experienced a non-significant decline in leg strength, the study showed.
“Exercise is critical throughout life, and this study shows that continuing to exercise after retirement can have significant health benefits,” said Dr. John Batsis, a geriatrician and associate professor of geriatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine and Gillings School of Global Public Health in nutrition, who was not involved in the study.
What is Resistance Training?
Batsis said the exercises will include cardio, strength training, flexibility training and balance training.
“Regularly engaging in these activities or not has significant effects on overall health (including cognitive function) and physical function,” Batsis said in an email.
Think of strength training as “exercise that makes your muscles stronger by working against a force,” says Dana Santas, a mind-body coach to professional athletes and CNN fitness contributor.
That force could include weights, resistance bands or even your own body weight, like in push-ups and squats, she added.
“For older adults, strength training is crucial for maintaining muscle mass, bone density and mobility,” she said.
Recent studies suggest that adding more weight is key, Bloch-Evenfeldt said.
What you can do at home
Batsis said one of the limitations of the recent study's proposed exercises is that weight training takes place in a gym, and not everyone has the time, money or transportation to do so.
While you should consult with a licensed trainer or physical therapist to exercise safely, there are also some things you can do at home, Santas says.
For older adults, it's important to build muscle strength in ways that are important for the functional movements of daily living, she added.
Santas recommends box squats, where you sit up and stand up from the seat of a chair. If you don't need to hold onto the chair arms for support, Santas suggests adding a few dumbbells to the mix.
The added weight “provides additional resistance while also improving grip strength, which is essential for functional independence and also serves as an indicator of cardiac health,” she added.
You can also wrap a resistance band around your feet and perform side steps, side lunges and reverse lunges to increase the strength of your functional movements, protect your knee joints and prevent injury, she said.
Santas says you should aim to do two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each activity at least two to three times a week.
Batsis said maintaining regular exercise and other elements of good health is important for independence in old age.
“Fundamental lifestyle changes, including nutrition and exercise, are key to healthy aging,” he added.
