Q: Is weight training a good method of exercise for elderly
people?
A: Weight training is an excellent method to help condition
a person who is elderly in age. As long as a doctor verifies that the
individual is in sufficient condition to safely workout and safe training
practices are followed, this is an excellent way to tone and strengthen the
entire body.
Other forms of exercise such as walking are excellent ways
to strengthen the cardiovascular system, and while exercising the muscles of
the body, do not exert the same type of force upon the muscles and other
tissues of the body as weight training.
It has been shown in medical studies that having weight
resistance placed upon the bones causes a thickening of the bone structure and
an increase in bone density, helping stave off the effects of osteoporosis.
As we age one of the first muscle groups to lose strength
are the legs. This is obvious when you observe many of the elderly walking
hunched over and having trouble walking. Walkers are used to brace themselves
and prevent falls due to weak leg muscles. Much of this could be avoided had
the individual trained themselves with weights.
Some great exercises to use to strengthen the legs are
squats done with as low a descent as is safe and comfortable, leg presses on a
machine, dumbbell lunges, leg extensions and leg curls.
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