Stay fit longer with muscle strength: This is what targeted strength training can achieve in old age.

The study mentioned at the beginning shows: A year of intensively supervised strength training can help to better maintain muscle strength over four years. This effect was particularly pronounced with high-intensity strength training using heavy weights. Moderate training also improved strength and muscle mass during the training phase, but the benefits largely disappeared after the structured program ended.

However, this is not a free pass for inaction, emphasizes Nadine Dorner: “A year of intensive strength training does not mean that one can take a break for years without negative effects. The study rather highlights how sustainable the right training stimuli can be when movement remains part of everyday life.”

Well-preserved muscle strength affects various areas of life:

• safer walking (including climbing stairs without handrails) and reduced risk of falls
• easier getting up from low chairs or cars
• more stability when carrying, lifting, and turning
• less fatigue during everyday tasks
• greater independence into old age

Muscle strength is also an important health marker and is closely related to overall resilience and long-term health. Therefore, those who take care of it early invest not only in fitness but also in quality of life.

To get a feel for strength training, you can start with these simple basic exercises. Pay attention to a calm and controlled execution.

#1: Squats (leg strength)
Stand hip-width apart, lower your buttocks back down as if you were sitting on a chair. The knees should remain over the feet.
8 to 12 repetitions.

#2: Wall push-ups (upper body and core)
Stand about a meter away from a wall, place your hands shoulder-width on the wall, and push yourself away from the wall and back towards it in a controlled manner.
8 to 12 repetitions.

#3: Single-leg stand (stability and coordination)
Stand for 20 to 30 seconds first on the right leg, then on the left leg. Hold on if necessary.
2 rounds per side.

Whether you start preventively at the age of 45 or newly engage at 65: It is never too early and never too late for targeted strength training. For it to be effective and safe in the long term, technique, load control, and progression are crucial.

This is exactly where training therapy at Trinicum comes in. Experienced training therapists will work with you to develop a training concept that fits your health condition, goals, and everyday life. Schedule an appointment and lay the foundation for more strength, stability, and quality of life.

Sources:

1. https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/10/2/e001899