Resistance Training for Older Adults | | |
A happy day with my mother at a big family gathering!
A short story about living with my mom as she aged. She was a believer in exercise. As long as I remember: Some swimming. Some tennis. She was committed! Born in 1915 — She knew this instinctively.
There were a lot of other things on her plate—but she never stopped being committed to regular exercise. And she did live to 98!
Maybe that’s why I wanted to be a physical therapist. I am also committed to exercising. And these days there’s so much more awareness about how important exercise is—for all ages. But here’s the surprise for many folks: Resistance Training is a really important thing to include in your exercise regimen at all ages, especially for older adults.
Aerobic exercise: Yes, a walk is great. Even a fast walk. Getting your heart rate up with some sustained effort. Breathing a little harder, faster—so important, a well-known and established fact: On an exercise bike, on a treadmill, in a swimming pool, on a walk in the park, even gardening—there are many ways to exercise outdoors in the sunshine or, inside with air conditioning (if it’s hot) or a heater (if it’s cold) and music in your ear. It’s as important as a good diet, good sleep habits, and social activities—at all ages.
But Resistance training…
When I suggested a little resistance training to my mother at 90 something — she was strongly opposed. And she wouldn’t budge. She really knew so much about what was good for her physically. But resistance, weights, therapy bands—she was clearly certain that that was NOT good for her. And she’s not alone—many older adults feel exactly the same way at first.
| | |
So let’s start here:
Lifting weights — "That’s not me?"
| | | |
Weight machines at a gym — "Well, maybe, but I don’t belong to a gym!"
| | | |
Resistance bands — "How do you do that?"
| | | |
Your own body weight — "Not so sure…"
| | |
|
Why is resistance training important for older adults?
In a word—the medical terminology for it is ”SARCOPENIA with aging.”
WebMD says:
“From the time you are born to around the time you turn 30, your muscles grow larger and stronger. But at some point in your 30s, you start to lose muscle mass and strength. You keep losing muscle as you age. If you lose so much strength and muscle mass that you struggle with basic daily activities, you may be diagnosed with age-related sarcopenia or sarcopenia with aging. After age 80, studies suggest somewhere between 11% and 50% of people have sarcopenia.”
Sarcopenia can be a serious problem. Once you've lost a lot of muscle and strength, you may struggle to do things such as getting out of chairs, opening jars, or carrying groceries. You also can become frail and have a higher risk of falls, broken bones, disability, and death.”
Here’s what you should do to maintain physical strength as you age: begin resistance training, and eat enough good protein.
| |
How exactly do you do it?
Lift weights, using weight machines, resistance bands, or your own body weight.
Must be done correctly. Or, as my mother feared, it could lead to injury.
Starting easy:
Lifting your own body weight: Here are some examples of where to begin.
Lower body strengthening…
| | |
Exercises for the calf muscles:
- Stand with your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold on to the back of a chair for balance.
- Raise yourself up on the balls of your feet.
- Hold briefly, then lower yourself.
- Do eight to 12 repetitions.
- Rest and repeat the set.
| | | |
Chair stand:
strengthening abdomen, core, legs, hips
- Place a small pillow at the back of your chair and position the chair so that the back of it is resting against a wall.
- Sit at the front of the chair, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor and slightly apart.
- Lean back on the pillow in a half-reclining position with your arms crossed and your hands on your shoulders.
- While keeping your back and shoulders straight, raise your upper body forward until you are sitting upright.
- Stand up slowly, using your hands as little as possible. Slowly sit back down. Do eight to 12 repetitions. That is one set. Rest and repeat the set 2 more times.
| |
Power move: Rise from the chair quickly. Sit down again at a normal pace. Do six to 10 repetitions. | | |
Beginning upper body strengthening exercises: Wall push-ups
- Stand facing a wall, about an arm's length away
- Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height & slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lean forward, bending your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall, then push back to the starting position.
- 8-12 repetitions. That is one set.
- Rest and repeat the set 2 more times.
| |
| |
In general:
Listen to Your Body: If any discomfort or pain occurs, stop and
reassess your form or modify the exercise further.
CDC-recommended frequency for resistance training:
- 2 times per week. With at least one day of rest between days.
Here’s an excellent pamphlet from CDC that can be downloaded for free
CDC: Growing Stronger—strength training for older adults:
- First they give you the why: How important and powerful this type of exercise is.
- “6 simple steps to getting it started.”
- A 3-part program to “Getting Stronger”
- Progressing from lighter resistance to more resistance
- Staying with the program—a 12 week tracking workbook
- Resources
| | |
Good Resources that “show you how to do it”…
Silver Sneakers:
Strength Training Exercises for Seniors: Everything You Need to Know!
“Building muscle isn’t as hard as you may think—and the benefits of strength training will help keep you strong for years to come. Strength training helps:
- Ward off age-related muscle loss
- Keep your bones strong
- Boost mobility
- Prevent falls
- Fight depression
- Slow cognitive decline”
How to join Silver Sneakers: https://tools.silversneakers.com/
- Online, on-demand classes
- Live classes at gym
“Whether you live too far away from a gym or prefer the comfort of a familiar place, join others with instructor-led SilverSneakers Community Classes. From community centers to nearby parks to online classes with Burnalong, you’ll have access to many different types of classes, like outdoor walking groups, nutrition workshops, and more.”
Silver Sneakers can be included, for free, in some Medicare Advantage Plans. — Kaiser, for example.
| | |
Yoga and strength training geared to seniors (online, in a gym, or in a studio).
Here are a couple suggested links to do on-demand, at home…
Gentle Strength: Yoga Poses to Build Muscle for Seniors
YouTube SilverSneaker: 7-Minute Yoga Workout for Older Adults
You may find classes for yoga or strength for seniors at a senior center or gym near your home.
| |
“Get Your Zoom On” given by writer of this newsletter—Susan Musicant, DPT
Sponsored by DayBreak. Free. Twice a week. Given by a physical therapist with a specialization in Geriatrics. All you need is a smartphone, iPad/tablet or computer. (We can send you a resistance band.)
- Online, on Mondays at 12:30 and Thursdays at 12:00.
-
To enroll: email DayBreak at susan@daybreakac.org or call 510-298-7728 and communicate with the physical therapist to discuss your needs and experience.
Here are some of the important basics:
- Frequency per week — twice a week.
- Good form — to avoid injuries. Basically this means posture and alignment.
- What is a set? 8-12 times
- How many sets? 3 sets
- Progression—starting easier and progressing gradually to harder (heavier, more resistance) When you find that it’s easy for you to do the exercise with the weight or resistance you have, you are ready to add weight or resistance (if you are using resistance bands).
- What are the important muscle groups: back, core, legs, trunk, shoulders, and neck—and they do work together.
- Join a class, or work with a personal trainer who is experienced working with older adults to get guidance?
- What equipment could work at home: resistance bands, graduated weights attaching to wrists, or ankles
| |
Is it worth it?
You can read more about the why and how using some of these excellent links:
| | |
— Susan Musicant, DPT
Injury Prevention Specialist at DayBreak
| |
Partnership Opportunity:
Host a Memory Care Cafe (MCC) Pilot Program
|
| |
Know a church, place of worship, or organization that would be interested in starting a Memory Care Cafe?
The Memory Care Cafe (MCC) pilot program brings together family caregivers and their loved ones living with memory loss to support wellbeing, social connection, and community. Click Here to learn more!
For questions about this partnership opportunity, please contact Roger Skillin, Operations Manager: roger@daybreakac.org and include “MCC Host Interest” in the subject line. Complete online application/interest form by November 30th, 2025:
| |
Upcoming Events & Workshops 📣 | |
Help Us Spread the Love ✨ | | A little love goes a long way. Your donation helps prevent falls, stabilize housing, and support seniors in need. It truly takes a village — thank you for being part of ours. | | |
If you know an elder in need of our care and coordination services, or a caregiver seeking support, please encourage them to reach out to us at:
510-834-8314
| | | | |
