“Band Exercise” COMBATS Frailty and Muscle Loss (Wow!)
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted February 18, 2022
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Growing older can be hard, especially when it comes to muscle loss and frailty.
If you’re like most people, you lose muscle every day after your 30th birthday.
This is a problem because it affects how you move, your balance, and it can lead to more weight gain.
But read that above sentence again: MOST people lose muscle as they age.
You don’t have to lose muscle mass as you grow older…
Especially if you do this simple “band exercise” that can COMBAT frailty and muscle loss.
I’m talking about resistance training.
I wish I could tell you that you could take a pill and your muscles would grow. Unfortunately, this won’t work (no matter how many late-night informercials tell you otherwise!).
And although getting enough protein is essential to muscle building, that’s not going to take care of everything.
You know the adage “use it or lose it”? Well, this is exactly how muscles work.
Resistance training is like weightlifting, but you contract your muscles against some form of resistance, instead of lifting heavy weights.
Folks often use strong elastic bands to perform resistance exercises, but there are also machines that will increase resistance, like a stationary bike.
Resistance training is much safer than strenuous exercise if you’re a senior, because you don’t risk dropping heavy weights or overstraining yourself with too much weight.
In a new study, published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, researchers put seniors through a resistance training program. They used a specialized resistance machine for 30 to 40 minutes, three times a week.
The specialized machine in this study used almost no resistance to start out with, then increased it slowly over time. Take a clue from that and start out gently and increase your resistance slowly.
The volunteers not only had reduced frailty, their walking speed, functional capacity and physical confidence all grew.
So, how do you do this?
There are many training free online videos as well as classes at local community centers that focus on resistance training for seniors.
Believe me when I tell you that nothing will make you feel better than keeping or increasing your muscle mass as you age.
P.S. Want to learn more ways to build strong muscles? Check out my mailbag on the topic right here. And if you want to have your health questions answered, click here to send me a message.
SOURCE:
Bridgitte Swales et al, “A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial Evaluating a Resistance Training Intervention with Frail Older Adults in Residential Care: The Keeping Active in Residential Elderly Trial, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (2021).” DOI: 10.1123/japa.2021-0130. Retrieved from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-10-experts-resistance-frailty-elderly.html
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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