Weight training benefits seniors

TORONTO—We’re not talking about bulking up like a champion weightlifter, but research shows resistance training can be good for seniors, slowing cognitive decline while improving their strength and mobility.
Previous research has found that aerobic exercise, such as walking and swimming, can help keep people mentally sharp as they age, yet few have looked at the effects on brain health of weight training aimed at building and strengthening muscles and bone.

But in a study of 155 women aged 65-75, researchers at the University of British Columbia found those assigned to a year of once- or twice-weekly resistance-training programs showed measurable improvement in cognitive ability.
“We were able to demonstrate that simple training with weights that seniors can easily handle improved ability to make accurate decisions quickly,” said principal researcher Teresa Liu-Ambrose, a researcher at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver General Hospital.
The study, published last month in “Archives of Internal Medicine,” randomly assigned the women to one of three exercise groups: once-a-week resistance training; the same program twice a week; or a twice-weekly balance and toning routine.
“What we found at the end of the 12 months was there was a significant improvement in selective attention and . . . decision-making among those who participated in the resistance-training program versus those who were in the balance and tone group,” Liu-Ambrose said from Vancouver.
Testing showed the women who took part in weight-training improved cognitive ability by up to 12.6 percent after the 12-month program while those who did only balance and toning exercises regressed slightly after one year.
“There’s lots of studies now to suggest that there’s a huge interrelationship between cognition and your physical abilities, which shouldn’t be that surprising in that the brain does control your motor system, as well,” noted Liu-Ambrose.
The program involved exercising on resistance-training machines and using free weights, with the amount of weight and repetitions steadily increased over time.
Liu-Ambrose said resistance training—a good workout alternative for seniors with limited mobility—is beneficial because weight-bearing exercise helps prevent osteoporosis and the risk of fractures linked to falls.
Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging, said that with a massive increase in cases of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia expected as the population ages, “anything that can help slow the rate of it is important.”
“We always hear about cardiovascular exercise and that it improves dementia and Alzheimer’s, and gives people a positive outlook . . . you really don’t hear a lot when it comes to strength training,” he said from Vancouver.