Short-term exercise with long-term health benefits

Heavy-load resistance training has long-term benefits - Photo: GETTY

"If you do resistance training at this age, the benefits in some health parameters can last for several years," says Mads Bloch-Ibenfeldt, a doctoral student at the Institute of Sports Medicine at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Resistance training helps improve health

To investigate whether resistance training programs might be beneficial in the long term, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial with 369 healthy, recently retired adults, aged 64 to 75.

Participants were assigned to one of three exercise programs for a year. The study asked them to either lift weights three times a week, do moderate-intensity exercise using body weight and resistance bands three times a week, or make no changes to their usual exercise routine.

Researchers measured their bone and muscle strength as well as their body fat at the start of the trial, at the end of the one-year program, and then two and four years later. It was up to each individual whether they continued their strength training regimen or returned to their normal exercise levels.

The study found that heavy-load resistance training provided the greatest long-term benefits for leg strength. Even four years after training, the strength in the legs of the exercisers remained unchanged, while the moderate-intensity group showed a decrease, although not significantly.

“Exercise is incredibly important throughout life. This study shows that even engaging in this activity later in life, after retirement, can have clear benefits for a person’s health,” said Dr. John Batsis, a geriatrician and associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the School of Medicine (Geriatric Medicine) and the Gillings School of Global Public Health (Nutrition).

What exercises are considered resistance?

Batsis says the concept of exercise includes aerobic, resistance, flexibility and balance activities.

“Each of these exercises has important consequences for overall health (including cognition) and physical function if a person regularly exercises them, or does not exercise them,” Batsis said in an email.

"You can think of resistance training as 'exercises that improve strength by making your muscles work against a force,'" says Dana Santas, CNN fitness contributor and mind-body coach to professional athletes. That force can include dumbbells, resistance bands, or your own body weight — like when doing pushups or squats.

“For older adults, resistance training is important to maintain muscle mass, bone density, and mobility,” she says. Recent research suggests that adding heavier weights may be just as important, Bloch-Ibenfeldt says.

What can you do at home?

One limitation of the workout proposed in the study is that the weight training was done at a gym, which not everyone has the time, money, or transportation to do, Batsis said.

However, while you should consult with a trainer or physical therapist to make sure you're exercising safely, there are some things you can do at home, Santas says. For older adults, it's important to build strength for functional activities of daily living.

Santa recommends box squats, in which you sit lightly on a chair and stand up. If you don't need to hold onto the chair arms for support, add some dumbbells. The added weight will provide "additional resistance while also improving grip strength, which is essential for functional independence and serves as a marker of heart health."

You can also increase strength in functional training movements, protect your knees, and prevent injury by wearing a resistance band around both legs and doing side steps, side lunges, or reverse lunges. Try to do two or three sets of 8 to 12 reps of each exercise, at least a few times a week.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bai-tap-the-luc-ngan-nhung-co-loi-ich-suc-khoe-lau-dai-20240621053237198.htm