Strength Training is Imperative for Seniors

As vaccination rates increase and COVID-19 infections decrease, we are perhaps well on our way to seeing an end of the pandemic that disrupted so much of our daily lives, routines, and activities we enjoyed. While getting infected with the disease had worse health results for seniors, the impact of spending eighteen sedentary months inside socially isolating and physically distancing has the possibility of nearly as bad health incomes.

The long months inside doing not much of anything has contributed to the mental and physical decline of many seniors, making talkative seniors who were able to function with a walker or cane, into ones unable to participate in conversation or get themselves out of bed. And while this may sound terrifying, the remedy for preventing or correcting it is not impossible or especially difficult.

Just as physical therapy is prescribed for a patient after an accident, injury, or long period immobile, so too must the inactivity brought about by quarantine be treated. Surprisingly, as much as twenty percent of a senior’s muscle mass can be lost with a mere five days of inactivity. Therefore, it is essential for seniors to engage in regular, purposeful physical activity to restore their strength and well-being, and make sure they can maintain their health and independence to come.

Consulting with a doctor to discuss basic exercises that can be performed, with recommendations for weight used and repetition, can be the key to regaining any lost muscle mass or bone density. These two metrics are especially important for seniors who can be prone to falls, one of the biggest preventable causes of injury and health decline.