You may already know that stronger grip strength is linked to increased cognitive ability, lower risk of falls, and even potentially longer life in older adults.
This is due in part to something called sarcopenia, or muscle wasting.
“By the (fourth) decade of life, evidence suggests that skeletal muscle mass and skeletal muscle strength decline linearly, with up to 50% of mass being lost during the (eighth) decade of life », an article. published in Current Opinion in Rheumatology.
This muscular decline is “one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of autonomy in older people,” they add.
So it’s a good thing that scientist Dr. Dennis T. Villareal, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, explained to the National Institute on Aging “the most important element” of training to block these effects.
What is the best exercise to prevent signs of aging?
According to the doctor, resistance training is more important from a certain age, especially in overweight or obese adults.
Older people who have a lot of fat sometimes lose the ability to carry that weight, leading to what’s called “sarcopenic obesity,” which Dr. Villareal calls “the worst of both worlds.”
He places resistance training just above cardio “because it builds muscle and reduces muscle loss.”
But he adds that the best results come from combining strength training (like weightlifting or using your body weight, like squats) and aerobic exercise (like walking or swimming).
His studies even found that combining a good diet with both forms of exercise helped reverse frailty, associated with dementia, in obese adults.
But the results are not limited to obese or overweight adults.
Dr. Rodger Fielding found that among all adults, the best way to reduce the risk of disability and increase the chances of remaining mobile as they age is to combine resistance training with lighter aerobic workouts.
A 2023 article found that resistance training can even rejuvenate your skin.
And a 2024 Mayo Clinic article reported on a paper in which researchers found that it’s never too late to start resistance training that “could slow and, in many cases, reverse changes in muscle fibers associated with aging.
Benefits were seen even among those who gained their first weight at age 70.
What exactly is resistance training?
The American College of Sports Medicine defines it as “any type of physical activity that uses the exercise of a muscle or group of muscles against external resistance with the ultimate goal of improving strength, endurance or muscular power.”
It can rely on external weights, such as dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells, or your own body weight, such as squats, push-ups, pull-ups and planks.
Pilates and yoga can also be considered resistance training, as can HIIT classes.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of low-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of higher-intensity exercise per week.
