Healthy individuals in their 60s, 70s, and beyond can safely start weightlifting and rapidly build substantial muscle mass, strength, and mobility, according to a recent study. The study found that even people in their 80s and 90s who had never weight trained before showed significant gains after starting a supervised weightlifting program three times a week.
According to Tommy Lundberg, an exercise researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the study shows that healthy older people can still respond to resistance training, and their muscles are still plastic. This implies that our perceptions of what is physically possible in old age may need to be updated.
Luc van Loon, a professor of human biology at Maastricht University and the senior author of the study, notes that the idea that the oldest old are less likely to be able to gain muscle mass and strength has become prevalent due to a lack of research on this age group. However, this idea is now being challenged by the study’s findings, which suggest that older individuals can still benefit from weightlifting.
Overall, the study highlights the importance…
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Contrary to popular wisdom among many gym-goers and even some scientists, healthy people in their 60s, 70s and beyond can safely start lifting weights and rapidly build substantial muscle mass, strength and mobility.
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Breakdown: Weight Lifting At Older Ages Builds Muscle And Mobility
Weight Lifting at Older Ages: Building Muscle and Mobility
As we age, it’s common to believe that our bodies are no longer capable of building muscle and strength. However, a recent study has found that healthy individuals in their 60s, 70s, and beyond can safely start lifting weights and rapidly build substantial muscle mass, strength, and mobility. The study, conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, found that even people in their 80s and 90s who had never weight trained before showed significant gains after starting a supervised weightlifting program three times a week.
The study’s lead author, Tommy Lundberg, emphasized that the findings suggest that our perceptions of what’s physically possible in old age may need to be updated. “It is often assumed that the oldest old, or people past the age of 80, are less likely to be able to gain muscle mass and strength,” he said. “But this study shows that healthy older people can certainly respond to resistance training, and their muscles are still plastic.”
The study included 144 healthy individuals…
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