{"id":17979,"date":"2020-12-14T23:33:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T15:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=17979"},"modified":"2021-06-21T16:16:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T08:16:02","slug":"preserve-muscles-preserve-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2020\/12\/preserve-muscles-preserve-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"Preserve Muscles, Preserve Youth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Middle-aged and elderly people do strength training to slow down the ageing process and improve their quality of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Linn Wu in Taipei<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 6 a.m., Jenny Chen, 63, walks into a gym where a few young adults are exercising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI invest in my health. I have been exercising for about 30 years, mostly swimming and jogging. To avoid muscle loss and body aches when I get older, I began strength training three years ago to stay in shape and preserve my muscles,\u201d the businesswoman says.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ageing Research Reviews in 2018 reported people lose almost 10 per cent of muscle mass every decade from middle age. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chen trains every morning before work, alternating between strength training and cardio workouts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started exercising for better recovery after giving birth. I was highly stressed at work and often woke up feeling upset. A morning workout always cheers me up and helps me stay fresh in the office,\u201d she says.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jenny Chen did strength training at 6 a.m.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStrength training is good for my everyday life. It teaches me how to improve my posture and prevent a back strain. Ballroom dancing becomes easier too. Strong core and leg muscles allow my upper body to move more freely. I can even sing higher notes now,\u201d Chen adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Chen often encourages her friends who are also in their sixties to exercise, they lack motivations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany fear workout injuries. In the past, people thought strength training meant lifting heavy weights. But we actually start with a light load and build it up progressively. There is a risk of injury in whatever sports you do,\u201d Chen says.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany friends in my age rarely exercise. They even consider walking exhausting, let alone training. My lady friends would rather cover their bingo wings instead of improving them,\u201d she says. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany friends in my age rarely exercise. They even consider walking exhausting, let alone training.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To enhance physical function and reduce the risk of falls, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a> in September, 2020 advised adults aged over 65 to do multicomponent physical activity which includes balance training, aerobic activity, and muscle-strengthening activities on a weekly basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang Yijian, an expert on physical activity in ageing and assistant professor of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says that strength training cannot be replaced by aerobic exercise. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to maintain muscle strength to perform daily activities,\u201d Yang says, adding that running and biking are not as beneficial to strength as resistance training such as lifting weights. \u201cStrength training improves our control of movements,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStrength training improves our control of movements.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yang points out falls are common among seniors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbout 30 per cent of older adults living at home and over half of those staying in nursing homes fall at least once a year. Possible injuries from falls include a hip fracture which can cause severe complications such as loss in mobility and death,\u201d he says.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Department of Household Registration Affairs<\/a> in Taiwan in 2019, more than 3.6 million citizens were above 65 years old, accounting for 15 per cent of total population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Census and Statistics Department<\/a> in Hong Kong reported there were more than 1.3 million seniors in mid-2020, making up 18.3 per cent of the city\u2019s population.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang says muscle strength enables people to protect themselves and minimise the risk of injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen people with enough strength lose balance, they can avoid bumping their heads by taking a step forward or putting hands on the floor first. But we found many protective responses in falls ineffective due to a lack of muscle strength,\u201d Yang explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cResistance training also strengthens bone density and that reduces vulnerability to fractures,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee Li-chun, 52, joined a gym three years ago when she suffered from menopause discomfort such as anxiety. She tried strength training nine months later in hope of improving her back pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lee Li-chun practised deadlifts in her training sessions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI realised that I need to train and stay strong to support myself, or no one will take care of me,\u201d Lee says. The homemaker had to use a wheelchair when she first threw her back out two years ago.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy lower back used to be so stiff in the morning that I walked slowly to the washroom with my hands on a wall like a zombie,\u201d Lee says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her situation improves after more than a year of training. \u201cOnly one can save oneself. If you don\u2019t exercise, no one can help,\u201d she adds.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly one can save oneself. If you don\u2019t exercise, no one can help,\u201d she adds.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her situation improves after more than a year of training. \u201cOnly one can save oneself. If you don\u2019t exercise, no one can help,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly one can save oneself. If you don\u2019t exercise, no one can help.\u201d <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lee does resistance and aerobic training five days a week as she understands progress takes time and effort. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy body conditions may be almost the same as others in my age. But the differences will be huge five to eight years later when we approach our sixties. Those who never work out will age quickly and suffer from body pain while I can manage to stay in a better shape,\u201d she says.  
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Lee acknowledges the benefits of strength training, they do not come cheap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMoney is a big issue. Hiring a coach is necessary for one to train safely and constantly,\u201d Lee says. She pays for 80 training sessions with NT $1,550 (US $54) each and her gym membership costs more than NT $1,000 (US $35) a month.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no return for me. I will find a gym wherever I go and keep exercising, with or without a trainer,\u201d Lee says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted Ho, 68, shares Lee\u2019s view. The retired businessman hurt his back during exercise in his twenties and had suffered from the pain for more than ten years. But he gives strength training a second try. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy back became weaker after the injury, so I use a leg press machine instead of squatting with a bar on my back,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ho took strength training classes for six months from late last year to early this year and learned alternative exercises such as lunges.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ted Ho replaced squats with a leg press machine to avoid hurting his back again.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI never challenge my capacity. I exercise merely to maintain muscle strength and prevent muscle soreness after doing household chores,\u201d says Ho, who lives alone and has been training for more than seven years.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chou Chi-feng, a 32-year-old private trainer, has coached more than 10 seniors aged from 65 to 77 years. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He finds most of his clients start training too late. \u201cIn the first session, some could not even do two sets of squats with 10 times each without bearing any weight,\u201d he says.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chou thinks it is important to help the elderly build confidence as they fear heavy training loads and exercise injuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always assure them the weights are within their capacity to give them a sense of security,\u201d he says. Chou usually provides additional assistance such as handles in the first few tries and removes it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to CDC, even if one has problems doing normal daily activities, such as climbing stairs or walking, regular physical activity is still safe and good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to common misunderstanding, Yang clarifies that strength training can be easily done at home. \u201cLifting heavy weights or doing high intensity training is not necessary,\u201d he says. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang suggests people make use of water bottles, elastic bands, or stairs to train progressively.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never too late [to start exercising]. Even those up to 80 years old can still benefit from strength training.”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can hold on to a chair to prevent falls and do squats to train your lower limbs. To improve balance, you can try standing with one leg. It also trains your muscle strength if you hold the position longer,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang adds daily activities such as grocery shopping and cooking are also important for the elderly to maintain independence.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never too late [to start exercising]. Even those up to 80 years old can still benefit from strength training. Some research even shows people with frail bodies improve more,\u201d Yang says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


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