Friday, May 4, 2012

Why Strength Training is great for the Elderly

   Most of you have heard about the Elderly slipping or tripping

 then falling more often than most people,not the broken hip 

causing the fall but just a mild slip or imbalance followed by the 


   As we age and start moving slower and lifting lighter and light 

items, we start using less of our Fast Twitch muscle fibers and 

more Slow Twitch muscle fibers. Fast Twitch muscle fibers are the 

type of fibers that have a high output of force and velocity but 

very low endurance. Slow Twitch have a low force production but 

higher endurance.

   What happens with aging is that these Fast Twitch fibers are 

not needed as much anymore so the body starts to break down the 

nerve pathways and "Atrophy" or shrink the Fast Twitch fibers, 

making them "dusty" and less responsive. When the Elderly person 

slips, their Fast Twitch Muscle fibers don't fire like they use 

to, this situation happens faster than the person could 

consciously respond in order to prevent the fall, that would be 

whats called a "Central Nervous System" response.

    In young individuals this is normally an "Autonomic Nervous 

System" or Automatic response/reflex,something you don't have to 

think about, your body reacts to catch you. Exercises like Yoga, 

Pilates and Stretching only serve to compound this state in the 


   The best plan for older folks is to do Strength training, lift 

weights,  just a moderate poundage, or jump rope if possible, and 

at the very least,get one of those small exercise trampolines and 

have the Elderly gently bounce up and down on it to stimulate 

their Fast Twitch fibers, if they are unable to even do this, 

balancing on one leg, balancing on a "Bosu" ball or any balance 

training will help rebuild those Neural Pathways  to the Fast 

Twitch Fibers and the next time they trip or slip their body will 

react "Autonomically" and help to prevent them from falling 


Stay Strong, Nick.