Resistance exercise for seniors is the foundation for muscle and bone strength. But hardly anyone wants to go to the gym three times a week to lift weights. Fortunately, it is now simpler, faster, and easier than ever to get the right results with just one session per week. Here is how.

The Key is Slow, not Heavy

Weightlifting conjures up grunting, sweaty guys who seem to live in the weight room. No wonder it turns so many people off. Throw out that vision right now. It is irrational and unscientific. And it does not apply to most people.

Imagine instead sitting down at a weight machine, selecting an appropriate weight, and being done with it for the week after just one set. All you have to do to reap maximum benefit from this exercise is to lift slowly, to a count of 12 or so, and return slowly to the same count. Repeat until you have had a total exertion time of 90-120 seconds. Do the same for 3-4 other machines that address different muscle groups, and you are done. That’s it for the week!

In fact, research shows that if you do more than that, or do it more often, you will undermine the benefits. Moreover, even working out every 10 or even 14 days still gives you the same benefits. The details of the science behind this approach are provided by Dr. Doug McGuff and John Little in their book, Body by Science. Fortunately, you can find out everything you need to now in their free online videos. Links to all of them are here: Body by Science videos.

Also see what Dr. McGuff has to say about the importance of this program for seniors in this video: Considerations For Athletes And Seniors.

Strength is Just One of Many Benefits

As you know, for us seniors so many things go haywire as we get older. Many of them are unnecessary, at least with the speed that they seem to come on. Loss of muscle mass is just one of them. However, working out by the right resistance exercise for seniors not only strengthens muscles and bones, it provides a whole litany of other benefits.

As cited in the Body by Science book, studies have shown that proper strength training leads to the following:

• Regained muscle strength and function
• Increased muscle strength and muscle size in senior men and women, including nursing home residents
• Enhanced walking endurance
• Reduced body fat levels
• Increased metabolic rate
• Reduced resting blood pressure
• Improved blood lipid profiles
• Increased gastrointestinal transit speed (anti-constipation!)
• Enhanced glucose utilization
• Alleviated low-back pain
• Increased bone mineral density
• Eased arthritic discomfort
• Relieve depression
• Improved postcoronary performance

And the icing on the cake is that not one of these studies reported any training related injuries!

So get with it, folks. Check out the videos (or buy the book), adopt the right exercise program, and feel stronger and better in many, many ways. Make life good today!

By the way…

The best books that I know of for showing you how to stay fit with quick, simple, at-home workouts are the Lightning Speed Fitness Program by Roger Haeske and the Fit Over 40 for Women by Brett Yokley. Roger and Brett also throw in lots of bonus books on diet, exercise, and lifestyle when you purchase their books. Click on images below for details.

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All the best in natural health,

Dr. D

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