How weight training could benefit older people

Published on: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

By: ETX Daily Up

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Use of dumbbells and machines may be more beneficial to seniors than elastic resistance bands. (Rawpixel pic)

While the protective virtues of exercise against depression in adults are well documented, Brazilian researchers have discovered that weight training can also improve symptoms of anxiety and depression in older people.

The authors of this meta-analysis, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, came to this conclusion after studying the findings of more than 200 scientific papers on the effects of weight training on older people.

“Resistance training has been shown to be one of the most effective non-pharmacological strategies for healthy ageing. It promotes countless health benefits, including improvements to mental health,” researcher Paolo Cunha said.

This is because weight training builds muscle, while epidemiological studies have shown that the decline in strength and muscle mass that naturally occurs with ageing can be associated with an increase in mental health problems. Strength training could, therefore, reverse these adverse effects, especially when performed in a group setting.

Cunha and colleagues have found that older people need to structure their workouts if they are to improve their psychological wellbeing. Ideally, they should exercise three times a week, using sets of three repetitions, and to do a maximum of six different exercises per session.

“Do less, but do it well: a short set produces better results,” Cunha advised.

The researchers also noted that the use of machines and dumbbells may be more beneficial to seniors than the use of elastic resistance bands or their own body weight.

“We don’t have statistics comparing the two kinds of training, but the analysis showed that resistance training with weights and other gear is more effective in improving the mental health of older people, largely because the intensity and volume of the exercises can be more precisely controlled,” Cunha explained.

Future studies on the subject will need to involve more participants than those included in this meta-analysis, so that the scientific community can truly understand why strength training is so good for older people.

Regardless, these findings add to the growing body of documentation on the benefits of resistance training, which includes boosting the memory of young adults.