Back

Baby Boomers Fight Aging and Give Their Muscles a Boost

Maybe you've heard about "the graying of America." If you were born between 1946 and 1964, then you are a "baby boomer" and part of the aging or "graying" of America. In fact, by the year 2030, more people in the United States will be over 65 years of age than under. The number of people over 85 years will increase by 133 percent.

Baby boomers are increasingly concerned about the effects of aging and willing to do something about it. But what? Physical therapists are helping answer this question by looking at the effects of aging on muscles. Therapists are especially interested in understanding how exercise affects aging skeletal muscles.

At the present time, it is known that muscle strength declines with age. Many older adults (those over 60) have trouble with physical activity because of this. Research has shown that muscle fibers decrease in number and elasticity with age. These changes lead to a decrease in the force of muscle contractions and a decline in muscle strength.

What can be done to prevent these changes as we age? Exercise! The right kind of exercise can slow or even reverse some of the age-related changes in muscle. Regular exercise that includes both strength and endurance training can reduce some of the effects of aging.

Two types of strength training are being studied: progressive resistance training (PRT) and high-intensity training. PRT starts with a set number of repetitions for each exercise and gradually increases the number of repetitions and intensity over a period of eight to 10 weeks. PRT can be done three times a week. High-intensity training starts by finding out the maximum weight a person can lift one time. Then three sets of eight repetitions are done twice a week at 80 percent of that maximum.

Physical therapists are studying the effects of different kinds of exercise on muscles. This information will help them train older people at intensities that will prevent loss of muscle and strength. Knowing the effects of exercise training on muscles can help baby boomers and other aging adults maintain their strength and activity level into their 80s and beyond.

References: Glenn N. Williams, PT, SCS, et al. Aging Skeletal Muscle: Physiologic Changes and the Effects of Training. In Physical Therapy. January 2002. Vol. 82. No. 1. Pp. 62-68.

Back