Strength training pays off

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Strength training for adults 65 and older, done more than twice a week and combined with physical exercise, can prolong independent living and promote general well-being.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, strength training, generally in the form of lifting weights or doing various other static exercises, can do more than build strength and endurance. Those factors are important for minimizing falls by maintaining the muscles necessary for proper balance.

Working out regularly also increases bone density, making it less likely to break bones or develop osteoporosis. Additionally, it reduces the risk of diabetes by improving the body’s ability to metabolize glucose.

“Lifting weights regularly can help keep a person out of the nursing home or assisted living for up to three years,” Judy Justesen said.

Justesen, a former Rawlins Recreation Center Recreation programmer for senior citizens, lifts weights three times a week, devotes another three days to other strength training and rests on the seventh day. She combines her activities with daily stretching and aerobic exercise.

Strength training “does a lot to enhance the whole person by releasing endorphins,” Justesen said. Endorphins are chemicals released by the body through exercise and other activities that produce a general sense of happiness or well-being. “I recommend doing it in the morning,” she said. “It’s a great way to start the day with energy.”

According to a CDC, 11 percent of adults 65 and older engaged in strength training, with women less likely to do so than men. Justesen said that women should consider exercise and strength training because “it prevents skin from sagging as much as you get older,” she said. “You look better and definitely feel better. The two go hand in hand.”

When done correctly, strength training helps older folks better enjoy life. Justesen, now a grandmother, still plays volleyball. She says her exercise program helps her agility.
But she says the time lifting weights inside is boring. “It’s my least liked activity, and that says a lot,” she said. “If it didn’t do so much good, I wouldn’t be there three times a week.”

Denise Davis, who has Justesen’s old job, plans to establish a physical training program, provided the community shows interest. To get a class started, check in at the front desk of the Rawlins Recreation Center or call Davis at 324-7529.