tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/strength-training-16307/articlesStrength training – The Conversation2023-12-26T19:41:43Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2174312023-12-26T19:41:43Z2023-12-26T19:41:43ZCardio or weights first? A kinesiologist explains how to optimize the order of your exercise routine<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566783/original/file-20231220-27-k6tsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=547%2C0%2C4607%2C3013&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Resistance and aerobic training each offer unique benefits.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/group-of-people-exercise-in-a-gym-royalty-free-image/501958013">vgajic/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you enter the gym, which way should you head first? Toward the treadmills and spin studio to get your sweat on with a cardio session? Or toward the free weights and strength-training machines to do some resistance training?</p>
<p>The American College of Sports Medicine <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb">suggests doing both types of exercise</a> to take advantage of their unique benefits for improving health and daily functioning and reducing chronic disease risk. But what is the optimal sequence to get the best results?</p>
<p>The answer to this question is … it depends. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fDSCAhgAAAAJ&hl=en">I’m an exercise physiologist</a>. Recently in my lab we have been studying the effects of combinations of aerobic and resistance training on improving health-related fitness, particularly aerobic capacity and muscular strength.</p>
<p>Research suggests that when you’re designing your exercise program, there are a few factors to take into account, including your age, fitness level and exercise history and goals. You’ll also want to consider the volume of your exercise routine – that is, its duration and intensity – and how you’ll schedule your training during the day.</p>
<h2>Benefits of exercise</h2>
<p>First, just about any exercise at all is going to be better for you than doing nothing.</p>
<p><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7050-aerobic-exercise">Aerobic exercise</a> is rhythmic activity that gets your heart pumping. Examples are walking, running, swimming, cycling and using a cardio machine such as an elliptical trainer.</p>
<p>Aerobic exercise can improve cardiorespiratory function – over time, your heart and lungs get better at delivering oxygen to your muscles to make energy for continued muscle contractions. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005263">Aerobic exercise can also</a> reduce several chronic disease risk factors, increase how much energy your body uses and how much fat it burns, and improve physical and cognitive function.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/resistance-training">Resistance training</a> involves strengthening your muscles by lifting, pushing or pulling against resistance. This type of exercise can be done using free-weight barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, weight machines or even elastic bands.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2015.22.8.385">Resistance exercise</a> improves muscular strength, endurance and the power and the size of muscles – what exercise physiologists call <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/muscle-hypertrophy">muscle hypertrophy</a>. Studies show resistance training has health-related benefits, as well, particularly for people who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181eeb61c">have or are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes</a>. It can improve blood pressure, blood levels of glucose and the ability of muscles to use glucose for energy, and it helps maintain lean body mass and bone health.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="smiling woman and man walking outdoors with hand weights" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566784/original/file-20231220-17-uaocdf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Many people work out with the main goal of staying healthy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/african-american-couple-power-walking-on-waterfront-royalty-free-image/1483170000">kali9/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Training for health benefits</h2>
<p>With a limited amount of time to devote to working out, many people include both cardio and weights in the same exercise session. This concurrent training comes with plenty of benefits for your health, including lowering your cardiovascular and metabolic risks.</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210292">doing both forms of exercise together</a> is better, especially for people with chronic disease risk factors, than exercising for the same amount of time but sticking with just aerobic or resistance exercise.</p>
<p>Studies of concurrent training suggest a generalized training effect – similar improvements in aerobic capacity and muscular strength, regardless of the order of aerobic and resistance exercises in a session. These <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01587-7">benefits hold for a wide variety of people</a>, including those who are initially inactive, recreationally active, young people and older women and men.</p>
<p>Resistance exercise done before aerobic exercise results in a small increase in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0784-1">lower-body muscular strength without compromising</a> all the other improvements in health-related physical fitness.</p>
<p>So if your exercise goals are along the lines of staying generally healthy and enjoying the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-exercise-pill-how-exercise-keeps-your-brain-healthy-and-protects-it-against-depression-and-anxiety-155848">mental benefits of moving your body</a>, resistance training first might provide a little boost. Research suggests that overall, though, you don’t need to worry too much about which order to focus on – cardio versus weights. </p>
<h2>Training with performance goals in mind</h2>
<p>On the other hand, you may want be more thoughtful about the order of your workout if you’re a performance-oriented athlete who is training to get better at a particular sport or prepare for a competition.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="women soccer players chase the ball" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566785/original/file-20231220-29-hurgjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Training toward specific performance goals can change the calculus about the order of your workout.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/professional-female-midfielder-expertly-controls-royalty-free-image/1477804764">Lighthouse Films/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Research suggests that for these exercisers, concurrent training may slightly inhibit improvement in aerobic capacity. More likely, it can hinder gains in muscular strength and power development, and to a lesser degree muscle growth. This phenomenon is called the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/JP272270">interference effect</a>.” It shows up most in well-trained athletes undertaking <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27506998/">high volumes of both aerobic and resistance</a> exercise.</p>
<p>Researchers are still investigating what happens on a cellular level to cause the interference effect. Aerobic and resistance training unleash <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6040127">competing influences at the molecular level</a> that affect genetic signaling and protein synthesis. At the start of an exercise program, the body’s adaptations are more generalized. But with more training, the muscle changes become more and more specific to the kind of work being done, and the likelihood of the interference effect kicking in increases.</p>
<p>Of course, many sports require combinations of aerobic and muscular capabilities. Some elite-level athletes need to improve both. So the question remains: What is the optimal order of the two modes of exercise to get the best performance effects?</p>
<p>Given research findings about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0162-1">concurrent training for high-level athletes</a>, it makes sense to do resistance exercise first or to train first in the type of exercise that is most important to your performance goals. Additionally, if possible, elite athletes should give their bodies a break of at least three hours between resistance and aerobic training sessions.</p>
<h2>Don’t sweat the order</h2>
<p>In my lab, we’re studying what we call “microcycles” of aerobic and resistance exercise. Instead of needing to decide which to do first, you weave the two modalities together in much shorter bursts. For instance, one set of a resistance exercise is immediately followed by three minutes of walking or running; you repeat this cycle for as many times as necessary to include all of the resistance exercises in your routine.</p>
<p>Our preliminary findings suggest this method of concurrent training results in similar gains in aerobic fitness, muscular strength and lean muscle mass – while also feeling less challenging – when compared with the typical concurrent routine where all of the resistance exercise is followed by all of the aerobic exercise.</p>
<p>For most people, my current advice remains to choose the order of exercise based on your personal preferences and what will keep you coming back to the gym. High-level athletes can avoid any significant interference effect by doing their resistance routine before the aerobic routine or by separating their aerobic and resistance workouts within a particular day.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217431/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Randal Claytor has received funding in the past from NIH, AHA, ADA. </span></em></p>How to structure your workout − resistance then aerobic training or vice versa − depends on your exercise goals.Randal Claytor, Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Nutrition and Health, Miami UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2131312023-10-13T12:32:13Z2023-10-13T12:32:13ZSteep physical decline with age is not inevitable – here’s how strength training can change the trajectory<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552200/original/file-20231004-25-yjv50i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C0%2C5086%2C3408&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Resistance training can take many forms and can be individualized to suit a person's needs as they age. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mature-woman-weight-training-in-gym-royalty-free-image/1163686644?adppopup=true">Jamie Grill/Tetra Images via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Raise your hand if you regularly find yourself walking up a flight of stairs. What about carrying heavy bags of groceries? How about picking up your child or grandchild? Most of us would raise our hands to doing at least one of those weekly, or even daily. </p>
<p>As people age, it can become more and more difficult to perform some physical tasks, even those that are normal activities of daily living. However, prioritizing physical fitness and health as you get older can help you go through your normal day-to-day routine without feeling physically exhausted at the end of the day. </p>
<p>It can also help you continue to have special memories with your family and loved ones that you might not have been able to have if you weren’t physically active. For example, I ran two half-marathons with my dad when he was in his 60s!</p>
<p>I am an exercise physiologist who studies how people can <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gn8ZiLMAAAAJ&hl=en">use resistance training to improve human performance</a>, whether it be in sports and other recreational settings, in everyday life, or both. I am also a certified strength and conditioning specialist. My career has given me the opportunity to design exercise programs for kids, college athletes and elderly adults. </p>
<p>Staying physically active as you get older doesn’t need to include running a half-marathon or trying to be a bodybuilder; it could be as simple as trying to get through the day without feeling winded after you go up a flight of stairs. Although our muscles naturally get weaker as we age, there are ways we can combat that to help improve quality of life as we get older.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Man in his 60s, a middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man, all wearing race medals and running gear." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=576&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=724&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=724&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552794/original/file-20231009-27-zdfuk7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=724&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">From left are the author’s father, who was age 61 at the time, the author’s wife and the author after completing the Lincoln Half Marathon.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zachary Gillen</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<h2>Muscle loss and chronic disease</h2>
<p>One of the most important parts of exercise programming, no matter who I am working with, is proper resistance training to build muscle strength. Some amount of age-related loss of muscle function is normal and inevitable. But by incorporating resistance training that is appropriate and safe at any ability level, you can slow down the rate of decline and even prevent some loss of muscle function.</p>
<p>The medical term for a condition that involves <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169">age-related loss of muscle function and mass is sarcopenia</a>. Sarcopenia can begin as early as age 40, but it tends to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2">more common in adults age 60 and older</a>. Sarcopenia is associated with a number of health issues such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx245">increased risk of falling</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.064071">cardiovascular disease</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103519">metabolic disease</a>, among others.</p>
<p>In one of our team’s previous studies, we saw that otherwise healthy individuals with sarcopenia had issues <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.12932">delivering vital nutrients to muscle</a>. This could lead to greater likelihood of various diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, and slow down recovery from exercise. </p>
<p>Recent estimates suggest that sarcopenia affects <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155533">10% to 16% of the elderly population worldwide</a>. But even if a person doesn’t have clinically diagnosed sarcopenia, they may still have some of the underlying symptoms that, if not dealt with, could lead to sarcopenia.</p>
<h2>Strength training is key</h2>
<p>So the question is, what can be done to reverse this decline? </p>
<p>Recent evidence suggests that one of the key factors leading to sarcopenia is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx245">low muscle strength</a>. In other words, combating or reversing sarcopenia, or both, may be best done with a proper resistance-training program that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02642-8">prioritizes improving strength</a>. In fact, the decline in muscle strength seems to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28047">occur at a much faster rate</a> than the decline in muscle size, underscoring the importance of proper strength training as people age.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing the general pattern for changes in muscle strength and size across stage of life." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552839/original/file-20231009-26-epspie.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Typical age-related changes in muscle strength and size with and without strength training.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zachary Gillen</span></span>
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<p>Continuing to regularly strength train with moderate to heavy weights has been shown to be not only effective at combating the symptoms of sarcopenia but also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2018.09.011">very safe when done properly</a>. The best way to make sure you are strength training properly is to seek out guidance from a qualified individual such as a personal trainer or strength and conditioning specialist.</p>
<p>Despite the clear benefits of strength training, it’s been shown that only about 13% of Americans age 50 and older do some form of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17572957/">strength training at least twice a week</a>. </p>
<h2>Finding what works for you</h2>
<p>So how does a person properly strength train as they age?</p>
<p>The National Strength and Conditioning Association, a leading organization in advancing strength and conditioning around the world, states that for older adults, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003230">two to three days per week of strength training</a> can be incredibly helpful for maintaining healthy muscle and bone and combating a number of chronic conditions.</p>
<p>The organization recommends that these workouts involve one to two exercises involving multiple joints per major muscle group, with six to 12 repetitions per set. These are done at an intensity of 50% to 85% of what’s known as one-repetition maximum – the most weight you could handle for a single repetition – with the exception of body weight exercises that use one’s own body weight as the resistance, such as pushups.</p>
<p>I would also recommend resting for about two to three minutes between sets, or even up to five minutes if the set was challenging. For older adults, particularly those age 60 and older, the National Strength and Conditioning Association guidelines suggest that a program like this be performed two to three days per week, with 24 to 48 hours between sessions. </p>
<p><iframe id="sGvo5" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/sGvo5/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Making life’s tasks lighter</h2>
<p>The guidelines above are only one example out of many options, but they provide a framework that you can use to build your own program. However, I would highly recommend seeking out a professional in the field to give specific exercise programming advice that can be tailored to your own needs and goals as you age.</p>
<p>Following such a program would give your muscles an excellent stimulus to enhance strength, while also allowing enough recovery, a very important consideration as people age. You might think it looks like a huge time commitment, but an exercise routine like this can be done in less than an hour. This means that in less than three hours of strength training per week you can help improve your muscle health and reduce the risk of getting sarcopenia and associated health issues. </p>
<p>It’s also important to note that there is no one right way to do resistance training, and it needn’t involve traditional weight equipment. Group classes like Pilates and yoga or those that involve circuit training and work with resistance bands can all produce similar results. The key is to get out and exercise regularly, whatever that entails.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213131/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zachary Gillen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Weightlifting and other forms of resistance training can help stave off loss of muscle mass and other age-related physical decline.Zachary Gillen, Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, Mississippi State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2141232023-09-29T12:54:24Z2023-09-29T12:54:24ZThree rules for adding weight to your backpack that will boost the benefits of exercise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550903/original/file-20230928-15-8u5hmb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C6000%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The benefits of 'rucking' can be boosted further by heading outdoors.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rear-view-young-adult-walking-travel-2160392741">dodotone/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Walking is a great exercise for keeping your physical and mental health in check. But if you’re looking to give your daily walks a boost, you might want to give “rucking” a try.</p>
<p>Rucking is a military term used to describe a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00140139.2020.1745900">march or hike with weight</a>. This is commonly done using a weighted rucksack or vest. It’s an extremely versatile exercise, meaning it can be done almost anywhere. You can also adjust the length of your walk, the amount of weight you carry and even where you walk (such as on level ground or hiking trails) depending on your fitness level.</p>
<p>Rucking blends strength training and aerobic exercise, which means it can have many benefits to both <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00140139.2021.1961876">physical</a>
and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/tbm/article-abstract/10/5/1098/5921063?login=false">psychological health</a> – particularly if done outdoors. Here are some of the benefits associated with rucking.</p>
<h2>Helps with weight management</h2>
<p>Research into walking and running with a weighted vest (which has a similar effect to a weighted backpack) shows that carrying additional weight while walking <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00140139.2021.1961876">uses more energy</a>. This may result in your burning more calories than you would during a normal walk.</p>
<p>The amount of additional calories you’ll burn while rucking compared to walking will vary depending on a variety of factors – including fitness level, age and the weight you’re carrying. Sources generally indicate that the calorie expenditure is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21681120/">much greater</a> compared to other activities such as walking. There are also <a href="https://www.ruckformiles.com/guides/calories-burned-rucking-calculator">tools online</a> that can help calculate how many calories you might burn while rucking. </p>
<p>This can be particularly beneficial for those who are looking after their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049518302270?casa_token=ifVS44faEc0AAAAA:fUhMVP5TbFdtACxEw1mPm-0oxMEFbQH_wvtrSlf-5KZ4qF3Fg6t4VKKgxPyAOMx5fLWmrx6Y">weight</a> or hoping to improve their overall physical fitness.</p>
<h2>Better mental wellbeing</h2>
<p>One of the unique aspects of rucking is that it’s typically done outdoors. </p>
<p>Research shows that exercising outdoors can have a profound effect on mental wellbeing. Though it’s not clear why green exercise has such an effect, evidence points toward a decrease in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/8/1352">stress through nature connectedness</a>. This can help reduce feelings of <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456/">anxiety, depression</a> and even fatigue.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ecotherapy-aims-to-tap-into-nature-to-improve-your-wellbeing-128433">Ecotherapy aims to tap into nature to improve your wellbeing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1559827616658229">Bringing a friend</a> along may boost these mental health benefits even further – with the added bonus of lowering blood pressure.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man and a woman hike in a forest while wearing rucksacks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550904/original/file-20230928-29-twt7et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A friend can make your walk or hike even more beneficial.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/couple-hiking-forest-path-on-beautiful-2280056903">Lucky Business/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Builds stronger bones</h2>
<p>Research on weighted vests shows they can promote and preserve <a href="https://www.jospt.org/doi/pdf/10.2519/jospt.2015.4842">bone health</a> by increasing <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1099800402239628?casa_token=a8M6X9ratq0AAAAA:TzB9CprjRuzlQgOn-0LefIVP-uW_1JfxuVLaoYL8EsHg-5m6_a7UBK92LwID9PyO-wUUu8_NgKo">bone mineral density</a> – particularly in places where fractures are common, including our knees, ankles and hips.</p>
<p>Improving bone mineral density can make doing day-to-day activities (such as carrying your shopping) easier. It can also <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1099800402239628?casa_token=a8M6X9ratq0AAAAA:TzB9CprjRuzlQgOn-0LefIVP-uW_1JfxuVLaoYL8EsHg-5m6_a7UBK92LwID9PyO-wUUu8_NgKo">improve balance</a>, which reduces risk of falls, especially later in life. </p>
<p>This aspect of rucking may be particularly important for people as they get older. As bone density <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788462/">declines with age</a>, preserving it is vital for reducing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788462/">age-related fractures</a> and falls.</p>
<p>Aerobic exercise alone may not be sufficient for preserving bone density – but combining aerobic and strength training can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11657-022-01140-7">promote healthy bone growth</a>, which is why rucking may be a benefit.</p>
<h2>Before you begin</h2>
<p>As with any exercise, rucking does not come without risk – especially when starting out. Because the exercise combines additional weight often with uneven hiking terrain, this may also make it riskier than other workouts.</p>
<p>Studies have found that in soldiers, <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/8415_2014_182">rucking can result</a> in back pain, lower body stress fractures (such as shin splints), blisters and knee pain. </p>
<p>This is probably due to the way your running and walking posture changes when additional weight is introduced. For example, hiking with a weighted pack has been shown to <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/8415_2014_182">increase torso lean</a>, changes your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37083060/">normal stride</a> and increases the amount the <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jab/33/4/article-p248.xml">knee has to bend</a> when walking and running.</p>
<p>On their own, each of these elements wouldn’t normally pose a risk. But when you add in fatigue after thousands of steps, you may be at greater risk of injury. Fortunately, these injuries are less common when walking and hiking than <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/41/8/469.full.pdf">when running</a> with weight – so only increase your pace when you’re ready. </p>
<p>If you’re keen to give rucking a try but want to avoid injury, here are a few other things to keep in mind.</p>
<h2>1. Add load gradually</h2>
<p>Some studies recommend only carrying a load of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050641111000903">30% of your bodyweight</a>. Others, however, have reported participants experience discomfort carrying <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687010001328">20% of their bodyweight</a> when exercising for more than an hour.</p>
<p>To avoid this when starting out, carry a backpack that’s as light as 5-10% bodyweight. For someone who weights 70kg, this would mean carrying around 3.5-7kg in your backpack. </p>
<p>You should also add distance gradually before your increase the amount of weight in your bag. This will mean you still get the benefits of rucking with lower risk of injury and discomfort.</p>
<h2>2. Keep it short</h2>
<p>A study in female hikers reported many experienced <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050641111000903#b0080">negative muscle changes</a>, (particularly in muscles that support movement, such as the knees) after just 2km of walking. So it’s best to plan a short route those first few times and build up gradually. </p>
<p>The same can be said for frequency. Doing too many rucking sessions too soon may lead to tiredness and overuse injury. Start with one to two sessions per week, aiming to eventually build up to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity#:%7E:text=do%20at%20least%20150%20minutes,of%20time%20spent%20being%20sedentary.">recommended 300 minutes</a> of moderate intensity activity per week.</p>
<h2>3. Choose the right kit</h2>
<p>When choosing a backpack or rucksack for rucking, prioritise options with adequate padding and <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/8415_2014_182">proper weight distribution</a>. </p>
<p>To make choosing a backpack easier, many companies have even designed specialist packs with weighted plates or sandbags. You could also use a standard hiking backpack with a water reservoir, and adjust the amount of liquid in the pack. Or, you can use items you have readily available at home to a well-padded and supportive backpack – such as cans or bags of rice.</p>
<p>As with any new workout regime, it’s always recommended you consult your GP to see if it’s right with you. But following these guidelines should ensure you can try rucking with confidence and minimal risk of injury.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214123/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jen Wilson is affiliated with FiiT for Life </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Athalie Redwood-Brown is affiliated with FiiT for Life Charity.</span></em></p>‘Rucking’ involves adding weight to a backpack while walking or hiking.Jen Wilson, Senior Exercise and Health Practitioner, Nottingham Trent UniversityAthalie Redwood-Brown, Senior Lecturer in Performance Analysis of Sport, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2124332023-09-25T12:21:28Z2023-09-25T12:21:28ZAerobic and strength training exercise combined can be an elixir for better brain health in your 80s and 90s, new study finds<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549420/original/file-20230920-21-t9p644.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C24%2C5475%2C3630&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pilates is a form of mind-body exercise that involves weight resistance and strength training. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mature-woman-doing-mermaid-exercise-on-pilates-royalty-free-image/944882744?phrase=seniors+exercise&adppopup=true">Thomas Barwick/Stone via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People in the oldest stage of life who regularly engage in aerobic activities and strength training exercises perform better on cognitive tests than those who are either sedentary or participate only in aerobic exercise. That is the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00885-4">key finding of our new study</a>, published in the journal GeroScience.</p>
<p>We assessed 184 cognitively healthy people ranging in age from 85 to 99. Each participant reported their exercise habits and underwent a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests that were designed to evaluate various dimensions of cognitive function. </p>
<p>We found that those who incorporated both aerobic exercises, such as swimming and cycling, and strength exercises like weightlifting into their routines – regardless of intensity and duration – had better mental agility, quicker thinking and greater ability to shift or adapt their thinking.</p>
<p>Using a well-known cognitive screening tool called the <a href="https://mocacognition.com/">Montreal Cognitive Assessment</a> that provides a balanced view of many aspects of cognition, we found that people who didn’t engage in any physical exercise scored lower than those who did both cardio and strength training. This difference was slight but significant even when controlling for other factors like education and how much people exercised. In addition, the group that did both types of exercises did better in specific cognitive activities, like symbol coding, beyond just the screening results. </p>
<p>It’s important to note that while our study establishes a correlation between a mix of aerobic and strength training exercises and higher cognitive test scores, the design of the study did not enable us to determine a causal relationship.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the results suggest that a varied exercise routine is associated with improved cognitive functioning in people who are in their late 80s and beyond. We conducted the study as part of a large, multisite collaboration with the <a href="https://mcknightbrain.org/">McKnight Brain Research Foundation</a>, which has institutes at the University of Florida, the University of Miami, the University of Arizona and the University of Alabama-Birmingham. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>The aging of the global population makes cognitive health a pressing issue. The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. is projected to reach <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/216624/projected-numbers-of-alzheimers-sufferers-aged-65-and-over-in-the-us/#statisticContainer">almost 14 million by 2060</a>, up from just over 6 million as of 2020. Our findings not only offer hope for healthier aging but also present a practical approach to maintaining or even enhancing cognitive health in the last decades of life.</p>
<p>These results are not just numbers; they represent real-world thinking abilities that can affect the quality of life for those entering their golden years.</p>
<p>The fact that nearly 70% of our study participants were already engaging in some physical exercise prior to signing up for our study challenges the stereotype that old age and physical inactivity must go hand in hand. </p>
<p>Our findings provide an evidence base for health care providers to consider recommending a mixed regimen of aerobic and strength exercises as part of their patients’ wellness plans. Studies show that when cognitive decline is slowed, people <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/risk-costs-severe-cognitive-impairment-older-ages-key-findings-our-literature-review-projection-0">spend less on medical care</a> and experience a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/chronic-diseases-brief.html">higher quality of life</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FwQTCl1Yj3w?wmode=transparent&start=75" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The aging body is like a machine that needs more upkeep and maintenance to stay intact.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Some of the next questions we hope to answer include: What types of aerobic and strength exercises are most effective for cognitive health? Is walking as effective as jogging? Does lifting weights have the same impact as resistance band exercises? And how much exercise is needed to see noticeable cognitive benefits? </p>
<p>Another critical question is the potential of exercise as a treatment for neurocognitive disorders among older people. Our results suggest that physical activity is a preventive measure. But could it also be an active treatment for cognitive decline? This is an exciting development and one that is opening up all sorts of new possibilities for helping people live fully across their entire life span.</p>
<p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take on interesting academic work.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212433/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s long been known that exercise helps maintain strength and agility as we age. New research points to the importance of exercise type in supporting cognitive health in the latest decades of life.Brian Ho, PhD Candidate in Clinical & Health Psychology, University of FloridaRonald Cohen, Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2035622023-05-17T01:27:55Z2023-05-17T01:27:55ZAm I too old to build muscle? What science says about sarcopenia and building strength later in life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525760/original/file-20230512-41125-9ts1je.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C7360%2C4858&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sarcopenia is the progressive and accelerated loss of muscle mass and strength as we age. </p>
<p>The term was coined in the 1980s, and the condition has been recognised as a disease for less <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.50432">than a decade</a>, but the concept is as old as time: use it or lose it.</p>
<p>But what if you’re in your 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s? Is it “too late” to build muscle and fight sarcopenia? Here’s what the research says.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525756/original/file-20230511-19-34yuj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exercise training during weight loss can also prevent bone loss.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-muscle-wasting-condition-sarcopenia-is-now-a-recognised-disease-but-we-can-all-protect-ourselves-119458">The muscle-wasting condition 'sarcopenia' is now a recognised disease. But we can all protect ourselves</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Sarcopenia isn’t just unfortunate. It’s dangerous</h2>
<p>All of us will start to gradually lose muscle from our mid-30s, but this loss accelerates in later years. For up to 30% of adults aged over 60, the declines are substantial enough to meet the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcsm.12783">definition for sarcopenia</a>.</p>
<p>Sarcopenia increases your risk of falls, fractures, hospitalisation, loss of independence and many other chronic diseases. </p>
<p>However, people who are active in early life and maintain this as they age can delay or prevent the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcsm.13218">onset of sarcopenia</a>.</p>
<p>The good news is it’s never too late to make a start, even if you are already experiencing the debilitating effects of sarcopenia. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=392&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525520/original/file-20230511-29-5201jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s never too late to make a start.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What the science says</h2>
<p>Resistance training is the most effective way to build and strengthen muscle at all ages. That means things like:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>lifting free weights like dumbbells</p></li>
<li><p>using machine weights, like you find in a gym</p></li>
<li><p>using resistance bands</p></li>
<li><p>bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, wall-sits or tricep dips.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>It’s OK to start with even very light weights, or do modified, easier versions of bodyweight exercises (for example, you might do a shallow squat rather than a deep one, or a push-up against a wall or windowsill instead of on the floor). Something is always better than nothing. </p>
<p>Aim to make the exercise harder over time. Lift progressively heavier weights or do increasingly harder versions of bodyweight or resistance band exercises. This is called progressive resistance training.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525565/original/file-20230511-27-1sxqpo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Aim to make the exercise harder over time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-020-01331-7?fbclid=IwAR06PPIz8cf2xZExNvrnlueQp0-7SWQwT1x0bUdnZrgTOqcyiAdTrpufTjU">Clinical trials</a> have consistently shown all adults – even very frail people over the age of 75 – can make significant gains in muscle mass and strength by doing progressive resistance training at least twice a week. The improvements can be seen in as little as eight weeks. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2342214/">One seminal study</a> included ten frail, institutionalised 86–96 year olds who did a high-intensity progressive resistance training program. </p>
<p>After just eight weeks, the average mid-thigh muscle area had increased by almost 10% (which is equivalent to the amount of muscle typically lost over a decade) and leg strength increased by about 180%. </p>
<p>In other words, these older people were almost three times stronger at the end of the short training program than before.</p>
<p>It really can be done. British-Swiss man <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgoCm1hofM">Charles Eugster</a> (1919–2017), for example, took up progressive resistance training in his late 80s after noticing a decline in his muscle mass. He went on to become a <a href="https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lessons-from-a-95-year-old-bodybuilder.html">bodybuilder</a>, and in 2012 gave a TEDx <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGgoCm1hofM">talk</a> titled “Why bodybuilding at age 93 is a great idea”.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6689%2C4466&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6689%2C4466&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525755/original/file-20230511-23-xwcq71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Resistance training is the most effective way to build and strengthen muscle at all ages.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What if my doctor has told me to lose weight?</h2>
<p>Many older adults have obesity, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. </p>
<p>They’re often told to lose weight, but any dieting (or other strategy aimed at weight loss) also usually causes muscle loss.</p>
<p>Losing muscle mass in older age could increase the risk for many common chronic conditions. For example, muscle is crucial to keeping blood sugar levels under control, so excessive muscle loss could blunt the benefits of weight loss for people with type 2 diabetes.</p>
<p>If you’re losing weight, it’s important to try to minimise muscle mass loss at the same time. How? Progressive resistance training. </p>
<p>By combining progressive resistance training with weight loss, one study found the resulting muscle loss is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29596307/">negligible</a>. (It’s also important that if you are dieting, you are still eating <a href="https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(14)00111-3/fulltext">enough protein</a>, so your body has the ingredients it needs to build new muscle).</p>
<p>Exercise training during weight loss can also prevent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254621000491">bone loss</a>, which reduces fracture risk in older people.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C19%2C4368%2C2877&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C19%2C4368%2C2877&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520175/original/file-20230411-26-v63lvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An accredited exercise professional can help design a program that suits you.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Aim for at least twice a week – more if you can</h2>
<p>Whether or not you’re trying to lose weight, and regardless of whether you think you have sarcopenia, all older adults can benefit from strengthening their muscles.</p>
<p>Even if getting to a gym or clinic is hard, there are plenty of resistance exercises you can do at home or outdoors that will help build strength.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525783/original/file-20230512-35478-3o1th8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1130&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All older adults can benefit from strengthening their muscles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Talk to a health professional before starting a moderate to high intensity progressive resistance training program. An accredited exercise professional can help design a program that suits you.</p>
<p>Generally, we should aim to do progressive resistance training at least <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12603-021-1665-8">twice a week</a>.</p>
<p>Try to target 8–10 muscle groups, and start out at about 30–40% of your maximum effort before progressing over time to 70–80% of your maximum. </p>
<p>As the name suggests, it is key to progressively increase the effort or challenge of your program so you can feel the improvements and achieve your goals. </p>
<p>It’s never too late to start training for your fight against sarcopenia and loss of independence in older age. The health benefits will be worth it. As Socrates <a href="https://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/plato/theaetet.htm">said</a> in the 4th Century BC:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>is not the bodily habit spoiled by rest and idleness, but preserved for a long time by motion and exercise?</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/use-it-or-rapidly-lose-it-how-to-keep-up-strength-training-in-lockdown-165810">Use it or rapidly lose it: how to keep up strength training in lockdown</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203562/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Scott has been a consultant for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and Abbott Nutrition. He has received competitive research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and Amgen Australia. He is a Council member of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR), and Chair of the ANZSSFR Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Taskforce.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robin Daly has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Eggs Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, the Peanut Institute, Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd as part of a Primary Growth Partnership grant via the Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand and Amgen Australia. He has previously received speaker honoraria from Abbott Nutrition, Fresenius Kabi, Nutricia Australia and Amgen. He is a member of the medical and scientific advisory committee of Healthy Bones Australia and a council member of the International Federation for Musculoskeletal Research Societies (IFMRS).
</span></em></p>It’s never too late to start.David Scott, Associate Professor (Research) and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, Deakin UniversityRobin M. Daly, Professor of Exercise and Ageing, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2001672023-05-09T04:34:19Z2023-05-09T04:34:19ZWhy exercising your ‘good arm’ can also help the one in a sling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522913/original/file-20230426-105-itdelq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C5%2C3788%2C2149&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-arm-sling-suffering-pain-shoulder-1461799133">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Injured limbs need rest. They are often kept in a sling or cast to immobilise them as a way to promote healing. But that can mean smaller and weaker muscles several weeks later. It takes a long time to rehabilitate these muscles and muscle strength and function <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-199010010-00005">may not be fully restored</a> for some people.</p>
<p>Experts are learning more and more about the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/broke-your-arm-exercise-the-other-one-to-strengthen-it-103241">cross-education effect</a>” where training one side of the body results in an increased strength of the opposite side of the body. Our recent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36849120/">study</a> shows it can also stop muscle wasting in the “unused” arm. </p>
<p>So, how can we harness that effect?</p>
<h2>How it works</h2>
<p>First <a href="https://vlp-new.ur.de/records/lit23174/files/lit23174_merged.pdf">discovered</a> 100 years ago, the mechanisms underpinning the cross-education effect have not been fully clarified yet. But it is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29995227/">likely associated</a> with neural adaptations in the motor cortex of the brain that controls movement in the body. </p>
<p>Researchers have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/10833196.2018.1499272?needAccess=true&role=button">reviewed</a> almost 100 studies and showed the average cross-body transfer ratio between the strength gain in the trained muscle to non-trained muscle ranged from 48% to 77%. So, if your trained arm strength increased by 20% after training the same muscle of your non-trained arm strength might increase by 10% even though you did nothing with that arm.</p>
<p>Such changes <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29995227/">could be due</a> to increased cortical excitability (the brain activity to control movement), reduced cortical inhibition (the signal to stop movements), reduced inter-hemispheric inhibition (the signals that direct movement instructions to one side of the body but not the other), changes in voluntary activation or new brain regions getting switched on. </p>
<p>It appears the type of muscle contraction in the training affects the extent of the cross-education effect. </p>
<p>There are three types of muscle contractions: </p>
<ul>
<li>isometric (static) where the force produced by a muscle is equal to the load to the muscle, such as holding a dumbbell </li>
<li>concentric (shortening) in which force is greater than load, such as lifting a dumbbell</li>
<li>eccentric (lengthening) in which force is less than load, such as lowering a dumbbell. </li>
</ul>
<p>Muscles can produce greater force during eccentric than isometric or concentric contractions. And less fatigue is induced during eccentric than other contractions. <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/resistance-training-health-benefits">Resistance exercises</a> – when muscles work against a weight or force – increase muscular strength and endurance using these types of muscle contractions.</p>
<p>Several <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26037804/">studies</a> report exercise consisting of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26037804/">eccentric-only muscle contractions</a> (say, lowering a dumbbell but not lifting it) produces <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31524834/">greater cross-education effect</a> than exercise consisting of concentric-only (lifting only) or concentric-eccentric contractions (lifting and lowering). </p>
<p>One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26037804/">study</a> showed eccentric exercise training affected brain-spine responses and stopping (inhibition) signals of the untrained limb to a greater extent than concentric training.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="woman in gym setting holding dumbbell in one hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/522915/original/file-20230426-152-m0lbdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lowering a dumbbell is an example of an eccentric exercise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fat-woman-holding-dumbbell-excessive-belly-1774886543">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-foam-rolling-effective-for-muscle-pain-and-flexibility-the-science-isnt-so-sure-170878">Is foam rolling effective for muscle pain and flexibility? The science isn't so sure</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What we studied</h2>
<p>In 2021, we <a href="https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-021-00298-w">compared</a> eccentric and concentric resistance exercise training for cross-education effect in which 18 young people (aged 20–23) performed progressive elbow flexor resistance training with one arm twice a week for five weeks using a dumbbell.</p>
<p>Both eccentric (lengthening) and concentric (shortening) training groups increased muscle strength similarly after the training (by 23 to 26%) for the trained arm. But the non-trained arm showed greater strength increase after eccentric (23%) than concentric training (12%). The cross-body transfer ratio (the correspondence between the strength gain in both sides) was much greater (91%) for eccentric training when participants lowered a dumbbell only compared to concentric training (49%) when they lifted it.</p>
<p>This tallies with our previous <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31524834/">study</a> that showed greater strength gains and cross-education effect from eccentric training.</p>
<p>Published in February, our most recent study involved 12 young men and <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/9900/Effects_of_Unilateral_Eccentric_versus_Concentric.216.aspx">showed</a> how training one arm can prevent weakening of the other. No training saw muscle strength and size of the inactive arm reduced by up to 17%. Concentric training reduced the loss to to 4%. But eccentric training increased the immobilised arm strength by 4% and completely abolished atrophy (muscle wasting). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-reasons-swimming-should-be-your-next-workout-197249">Four reasons swimming should be your next workout</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What to ask your physio</h2>
<p>These findings support the recommendation of resistance training using eccentric or lengthening movements of the non-immobilised limb to prevent muscle strength loss and atrophy in real injuries such as ligament sprains and tears or bone fractures and after surgery.</p>
<p>This type of training has not been used extensively in rehabilitation so far. Further investigation into the mechanisms at play is needed but our findings could inform changes to how rehabilitation is implemented. </p>
<p>If you’re injured and or have had surgery and have an arm or leg immobilised, it’s worth discussing with your doctor, surgeon or physio whether exercising the corresponding limb on your good side – especially with lengthening movements against resistance or with a weight – could be worth trying. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hot-pack-or-cold-pack-which-one-to-reach-for-when-youre-injured-or-in-pain-161086">Hot pack or cold pack: which one to reach for when you're injured or in pain</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200167/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ken Nosaka does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Working one arm or leg could help strengthen the corresponding injured or immobilised limb and also stop it wasting away from lack of use.Ken Nosaka, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2019922023-04-16T12:23:29Z2023-04-16T12:23:29ZHow does intermittent fasting affect athletic performance? There’s no simple answer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516395/original/file-20230320-18-lg7o4q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5424%2C3646&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular — but does this diet help or hinder athletic performance?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular and is now gaining a following among athletes. </p>
<p>The practice consists of going without food for periods of varying lengths. Outside these periods, you can eat any type of food in any quantity you want. There are several types of intermittent fasting, including alternative fasting (every other day), modified fasting (reduced calorie intake on two non-consecutive days per week) and time-limited eating (for example, fasting from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.). </p>
<p>How does intermittent fasting affect athletic performance? And what are the benefits, practical considerations and risks involved?</p>
<p>I am a dietitian nutritionist with a PhD in nutrition from Laval University, and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC). This article was written in collaboration with Geneviève Masson, a sports nutritionist who advises high performance athletes at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and teaches at Langara College in Vancouver.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
À lire aussi :
<a href="https://theconversation.com/le-jeune-intermittent-est-il-pour-vous-voici-ce-quen-dit-la-science-183497">Le jeûne intermittent est-il pour vous ? Voici ce qu’en dit la science</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Varying effects on athletic performance</h2>
<p>During physical activity, the body primarily uses carbohydrate reserves, called glycogen, as its energy source. During fasting, glycogen reserves decrease rapidly. So in order to meet its energy needs, the body increases its use of lipids (fats).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512250/original/file-20230224-2406-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When fasting, glycogen reserves decline rapidly. So in order to meet its energy needs, the body increases its use of lipids (fats).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The practice of intermittent fasting has been associated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113453">with a decrease in fat mass and maintenance of lean mass in athletes</a>. However, as contradictory results of several studies have shown, these changes do not always improve athletic performance.</p>
<p>Several studies reported that aerobic capacity, measured by a VO<sub>2</sub> max test, remained unchanged after intermittent fasting in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-020-00396-z">elite cyclists</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13092941">runners</a>, as well as in well-trained <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002488">long-distance</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0b013e3182293891">middle-distance</a> runners. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13092941">trained runners</a>, there was no effect on running time (10 km), level of perceived exertion or heart rate.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1185888">Trained cyclists</a> reported increased fatigue and muscle soreness during Ramadan, but this may be partly due to dehydration, since fluids are also restricted during this period when you cannot consume anything from sunrise to sunset.</p>
<h2>Power sports</h2>
<p>In the context of fasting, low glycogen (carbohydrate) reserves may limit the execution of repeated, intense efforts. Active adults reported a decreased speed in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2016-0125">repeated sprints</a> after fasting 14 hours per day for three consecutive days. </p>
<p>Active students reported decreased power and anaerobic capacity after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1438520">ten days of intermittent fasting</a> as assessed by the Wingate (stationary bike) test, although the study reported that power increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147227">in the same group</a> after four weeks. </p>
<h2>Strength training</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-016-1044-0">Men</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz126">women</a> who followed a strength training program had similar gains in muscle mass and strength when practising intermittent fasting compared to a control diet. There was no significant difference in muscle power between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2017.12.014">active men</a> who did or did not practise intermittent fasting. However, one study reported an increase in strength and muscular endurance in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2016.1223173">active young adults</a> after eight weeks of strength training combined with intermittent fasting. </p>
<p>So, as we see, the results vary greatly from one study to another and are influenced by several factors, including the type of fasting and its duration, the level of the athletes, the type of sport they practise and so on. In addition, very few studies have been carried out in women. Also, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051390">lack of a control group</a> in most studies means the effect of intermittent fasting cannot be isolated. </p>
<p>So for the moment, it is not possible to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of intermittent fasting on athletic performance. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511724/original/file-20230222-25-9yf2rd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The effects of intermittent fasting on athletic performance, according to the current state of knowledge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Bénédicte L. Tremblay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Eating before and after training</h2>
<p>Athletes who wish to use intermittent fasting should consider several practical issues before starting. Are their training schedules compatible with this dietary approach? For example, does the period during which an athlete is allowed to eat allow them to consume enough food prior to doing physical exercise, or to be able to recover after the training? </p>
<p>And, importantly, what about food quality, given that athletes must consume <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13092941">sufficient protein</a> to recover and maintain their lean body mass and limit negative impacts on their performance?</p>
<h2>Questioning the impacts of — and reasons for — fasting</h2>
<p>Intermittent fasting may result in an energy deficiency that is too great for athletes with high energy needs to overcome. This could be the case for endurance athletes (running, cycling, cross-country skiing, triathlon, etc.) due to their high volume of training. These athletes may end up suffering from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099193">Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)</a>, a syndrome that affects hormone secretion, immunity, sleep and protein synthesis, among other things. If the deficit is prolonged, this will have an adverse effect on an athlete’s performance. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512249/original/file-20230224-2083-7gbjli.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Intermittent fasting could result in an energy deficiency that is too great for athletes with high energy requirements, including endurance athletes, to overcome due to their high volume of training.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Geneviève Masson)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is also important to question the motivation for adopting a dietary practice as strict as intermittent fasting. Some people do it for religious reasons such as Ramadan. Others are motivated by weight control goals and the hope of achieving an “ideal” body according to socio-cultural norms. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2022.101681">recent study</a> showed a significant association between intermittent fasting in the past 12 months and eating disorder behaviours (overeating, compulsive exercise, vomiting and laxative use). Although this study does not determine whether fasting causes eating disorders, or eating disorders lead to fasting, it does highlight an associated risk in this practice. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512248/original/file-20230224-1965-b4cons.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A recent study showed a significant association between intermittent fasting in the past 12 months and eating disorder behaviours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Finally, the potential impact of intermittent fasting on social interactions must also be considered. A fasting schedule may limit participation in social activities that involve food. What is the risk of negatively influencing the eating behaviours of other family members, especially children or teenagers who see their parents abstain from eating and skip meals?</p>
<h2>Is this a good or bad idea?</h2>
<p>With such conflicting scientific data, it is not possible at this time to come to a conclusion about the effects of intermittent fasting on sports performance. </p>
<p>Further studies are needed before this practice can be recommended, especially for seasoned athletes. Furthermore, the potential negative effects on other aspects of health, including eating habits and social interactions, are not negligible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201992/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bénédicte L. Tremblay has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Laprise ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Does intermittent fasting have a negative or positive effect on athletic performance? At the moment, the scientific data about this is contradictory.Bénédicte L. Tremblay, Nutritionniste et stagiaire postdoctorale, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)Catherine Laprise, Professeur UQAC, Co-titulaire de la Chaire de recherche en santé durable du Québec et Directrice du Centre intersectoriel en santé durable de l'UQAC, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1917242022-10-18T16:12:29Z2022-10-18T16:12:29ZMuscle is important for good health – here’s how to maintain it after middle age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490022/original/file-20221017-15-qepbij.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6048%2C4010&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A lack of muscle mass is associated with a range of preventable diseases.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fat-middle-aged-men-fitness-trainer-2123451146">Zamrznuti tonovi/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>While it’s almost unnoticeable to begin with, nearly every cell, organ and biological process gets a little bit worse every year we’re alive starting from age 30 or so. The sum of these processes is what we know as ageing.</p>
<p>For most of us, loss of muscle strength and mass are some of the first and most obvious age-related changes we see. While this might only start out as a couple of extra little aches and pains, over time a lack of muscle mass can lead to a number of issues – including poor balance, frailty and loss of independence. It’s also associated with a <a href="https://theconversation.com/muscle-loss-can-cause-a-range-of-health-problems-as-we-age-but-it-can-be-prevented-147882">myriad of health problems</a>, including higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and even dementia. </p>
<p>While researchers aren’t entirely sure why muscle mass decreases so much as we get older, the good news is that we do know regular exercise can help lessen this impact – and can even delay some of this inevitable muscle loss. Regular physical activity is also shown to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36001316/">lower risk of preventable diseases</a>, maintain physical function well into old age, and even <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29517845/">improve immune function</a>.</p>
<h2>Get moving</h2>
<p>Given how important muscle is for our health, the best way to maintain it after 30 is to keep moving. </p>
<p>But let’s say you’re someone who hasn’t regularly exercised in a few years, or has never done muscle-building exercises before. </p>
<p>First and foremost, remember that ageing doesn’t mean you need to avoid heavy exercise. Our research suggested that younger and older men <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34650440/">recovered in a similar manner</a> to heavy muscle-building resistance training, so long as the training was tailored to each participant’s fitness level.</p>
<p>However, it’s important to consider your abilities before you begin exercising. A common mistake people make after being off training for years (or even decades) is trying to do what they used to do, or doing too much too quickly in those first workouts. This may lead to injury, so it’s important to build your workouts up gradually.</p>
<p>Realistically, the best workout plan to follow is the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/">NHS’s physical activity recommendations</a> for 18-65-year-olds. This says people should aim to be physically active most days, and do muscle-building exercises <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35228201/">at least two days per week</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A middle aged man and woman perform a plank at the gym." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490023/original/file-20221017-18-d1c8dh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The best exercises to do are those you enjoy doing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/middle-age-beautiful-sporty-couple-smiling-1641934243">Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But what kind of muscle-building exercises should you do? Well, there’s actually a myriad of different types of resistance exercise to choose from, and all are more or less <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32539753/">equally</a> as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33114782/">beneficial</a> as the other. The cliche people immediately think of is large, muscular people lifting heavy weights in a gym, but there many more options out there. </p>
<p>So if you prefer doing bodyweight exercises such as pilates, using resistance bands, or hard work while gardening over lifting barbells, that’s what you should aim to do twice a week. Enjoyment counts for a lot, especially if it means you’ll keep doing your new exercise routines. </p>
<p>Endurance-based exercise (such as walking, running and cycling) are also very good for you in multiple ways, beyond just building muscle and improving heart health. There’s also a very clear relationship between longevity and doing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25977572/">light physical activity</a> daily.</p>
<p>However, it’s important not to do too much of a good thing – especially high-intensity, resistance-based training. Research shows that doing more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25977572/">vigorous high intensity physical activity</a> than recommended isn’t associated with substantial benefits to longevity. For clarity, this data doesn’t suggest the high intensity is negative in terms of health, just that more isn’t necessarily better. </p>
<p>From a dietary point of view, many older people don’t eat enough protein. Sufficient protein intake is necessary to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29092886/">increase and maintain muscle mass</a> – even more so if you’re regularly exercising. Current guidelines recommend a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body mass per day for all adults. </p>
<p>But you’ll need to double this to 1.6 grams per kg of body mass if you’re looking to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29092886/">build muscle</a>. So for a person who weighs 70kg, they would need to eat around 112g of protein per day to build muscle. This would be the equivalent of eating approximately one large chicken breast, a protein shake, three eggs and a can of tuna (though it will vary depending on what products you use, so be sure to check the labels).</p>
<p>This seems to be especially important for <a href="https://www.bases.org.uk/imgs/9345_bas_bases_tses_summer_2022_online_pg_8_9609.pdf">physically active older people</a>(over 60 years of age). It’s also good to spread the protein you consume evenly throughout the day to help your body absorb so much protein as it can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20844073/">per meal</a>. </p>
<p>While muscle will still inevitably decrease with age no matter how much you exercise, being physically active often is still one of the best ways we know of when it comes to maximising both good health and fitness and lifespan. And the earlier you make exercise a habit, the better off you may be in old age.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191724/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bradley Elliott receives funding from The Endocrine Society, The Physiological Society, the Quintin Hogg Charitable Trust and private philanthropic donors. He is affiliated with The Physiological Society, and is a Trustee of the British Society for Research on Ageing.</span></em></p>Every year after age 30 we progressively lose muscle mass. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it.Bradley Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1906892022-09-29T10:53:38Z2022-09-29T10:53:38ZGetting fit after COVID? Why you should be strength training – and how to do it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486747/original/file-20220927-20-pfp8uo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5599%2C3732&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Knowing when to return to exercise after COVID depends on your symptoms.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/gorgeous-brunette-warming-doing-some-push-167044400">antoniodiaz/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>After recovering from COVID, you might be eager to get out and do some exercise, particularly if you’d previously enjoyed keeping fit. While a bit of light cardiovascular training can be a good option, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35627861/">strength training</a> has some particular advantages when it comes to getting over COVID.</p>
<hr>
<iframe id="noa-web-audio-player" style="border: none" src="https://embed-player.newsoveraudio.com/v4?key=x84olp&id=https://theconversation.com/getting-fit-after-covid-why-you-should-be-strength-training-and-how-to-do-it-190689&bgColor=F5F5F5&color=D8352A&playColor=D8352A" width="100%" height="110px"></iframe>
<p><em>You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/audio-narrated-99682">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>When our immune system mobilises to fight a COVID infection, this response, called inflammation, can take a toll on various parts of the body, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33921429/">the muscles</a>. So regaining muscle strength is one benefit of strength training after COVID. </p>
<p>We also know COVID can affect our energy levels and capacity to perform aerobic exercise. Research suggests that during rehabilitation for respiratory problems, strength training – performed either <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31494915/">alone</a> or <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26015595/">alongside cardio</a> – improves our ability to carry out activities of daily living requiring sustained breathing (functional capacity).</p>
<p>Similarly, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8871540/">recent review</a> of exercise programmes specifically for COVID patients after hospital discharge showed that strength training alongside a small amount of moderate-intensity cardio was linked to improvements in functional capacity and quality of life, such as through reduced stress. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/stroke-young-people-can-have-them-too-heres-how-to-know-if-youre-at-risk-and-what-to-look-out-for-189272?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Stroke: young people can have them too – here’s how to know if you’re at risk and what to look out for</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/75-hard-what-you-need-to-know-before-taking-on-this-viral-fitness-challenge-187551?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">75 Hard: what you need to know before taking on this viral fitness challenge</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-why-young-people-should-get-a-covid-booster-vaccine-189411?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Five reasons why young people should get a COVID booster vaccine</a></em></p>
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<p>If you’ve only just recovered from COVID, it’s important to take things slowly. Knowing exactly when to return to exercise depends on several factors, including the type and severity of your symptoms. </p>
<p>People who had heart or lung-related symptoms such as myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), an irregular heartbeat or severe difficulty breathing, during or after COVID, should <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.003">talk with a doctor</a> before exercising again.</p>
<p>Those still experiencing severe body aches, sore throat, shortness of breath, chest pain, general fatigue, cough or fever should avoid exercises for <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.637590/full">two to three weeks</a> after these symptoms have resolved.</p>
<p>Guidance for athletes with minimal or no symptoms has ranged from continuing to exercise during the infection <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9170595/">to waiting 14 days</a> after any symptoms subside. However, as most of us aren’t professional athletes, it may be wiser to err on the side of caution. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/regaining-fitness-after-covid-infection-can-be-hard-here-are-5-things-to-keep-in-mind-before-you-start-exercising-again-180588">Regaining fitness after COVID infection can be hard. Here are 5 things to keep in mind before you start exercising again</a>
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<p>Due to the stress COVID places on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34499784/">multiple systems</a> of our body, particularly our cardio-respiratory system, controlling the demand on our heart and lungs is crucial when deciding how to exercise after infection.</p>
<p>One advantage of strength training over cardio is that it doesn’t require the same <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24940055/">level of oxygen</a> consumption. This means we’re not forced to breathe increasingly harder and faster when doing it. </p>
<p>We can also change multiple aspects of a strength training programme to reduce our body’s need for oxygen. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30335719/">Increased duration</a> of exercise, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21993043/">shorter rest periods</a> between sets, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24552376/">faster repetitions</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24714546/">higher numbers of repetitions</a> all increase our need for oxygen. So training with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22692106/">fewer repetitions and more rest</a> between sets may be a good idea to start off with.</p>
<h2>Exercises to try</h2>
<p>Many strength-training programmes involve dedicated training days for specific muscles such as the back, chest or legs. Over a week this approach may result in too much overall work when recovering from COVID. </p>
<p>The good news is that compound exercises can work multiple muscles simultaneously – and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.01105/full">some research</a> suggests there’s no additional benefit in including single-joint exercises in a workout. </p>
<p>Examples of compound exercises include push-ups, squats, rows, pull-ups, deadlifts, shoulder press, bench press and dips.</p>
<p>The authors of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8871540/">a study</a> I mentioned earlier suggest that training for post-COVID patients could comprise one to two sets of eight to ten repetitions at 30%–80% of the 1RM (the maximum weight you can usually perform one repetition of the exercise with), alongside five to 30 minutes of moderate cardio.</p>
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<img alt="A man is seated on a bench in a gym, holding a weight." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486749/original/file-20220927-16-3va4wk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">It’s important to take exercise slowly after recovering from COVID.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-african-american-man-sitting-lifting-1868820532">Hryshchyshen Serhii/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>When you’re ready to increase the intensity of your strength training, if using weights, increase the weight first rather than the number of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33746777/">sets or repetitions</a>. If you’re doing bodyweight exercises, try adding an extra set rather than more repetitions (to still allow yourself regular rest periods), or consider using equipment like resistance bands to increase the challenge.</p>
<h2>Listen to your body</h2>
<p>Although you may be tempted to start where you left off, evidence suggests a <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.003">gradual return</a> to pre-infection activity levels may be best. </p>
<p>While people recovering from a serious infection should consult with their doctor, those returning from a mild to moderate infection are advised to start at about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9170595/">50% of the intensity</a> of their pre-COVID training regime.</p>
<p>When you do return to training, or if you don’t normally do strength training but are trying it as part of your COVID recovery, watch out for if you start to feel very tired. It’s essential to listen to your body and adjust your workouts based on how well your body copes with them.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/weekend-warrior-workouts-heres-how-to-make-the-most-of-them-190287">Weekend warrior workouts: here's how to make the most of them</a>
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<p>If your workouts feel manageable, you could try the <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Fulltext/2019/06000/CSCCa_and_NSCA_Joint_Consensus_Guidelines_for.1.aspx">50/30/20/10</a> approach which strength and conditioning coaches use to help athletes return to training after an extended period of inactivity.</p>
<p>So start by reducing your overall training volume (the combined total of sets, repetitions and weight) by 50% compared to what you did before catching COVID. The week after, progress to 30% less, then 20%, then 10%. If your body tolerates the training well, at the end of these four weeks, you’ll be back to completing the same routine you were doing pre-infection. </p>
<p>However, it’s important to remember that progress isn’t linear. You may be able to increase the volume each week, but you may also need time to build up more gradually.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190689/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack McNamara does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Evidence suggests strength training can offer a variety of benefits when recovering from a respiratory illness like COVID-19.Jack McNamara, Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology, University of East LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1898292022-09-07T16:27:54Z2022-09-07T16:27:54ZPilates: research shows how this low-impact workout can benefit your health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482766/original/file-20220905-2052-yfh1b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C9489%2C6331&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pilates can be performed using minimal equipment – even just a yoga mat will do.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-african-american-sporty-couple-smiling-2045365817">Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pilates has seen a jump in popularity recently thanks to a spate of celebrity endorsements, including the Kardashians, model Hailey Bieber and actress Kate Hudson. Even elite athletes such as <a href="https://www.studiopilates.com/secrets-make-cristiano-ronaldo-physical-phenomenon/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/murray-makes-pilates-core-to-his-comeback-1433258647">Andy Murray</a> incorporate some form of pilates into their training to improve performance.</p>
<p>Pilates is said to be good for your balance, posture, strength and flexibility, as well as improving your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296944/">core strength</a>. And the best part about it is that anyone can do it, not just celebrities and athletes. But does research show that it’s as good for your health as many people claim?</p>
<p>There are two main types of pilates. The simplest is mat pilates – which you only need a yoga mat to do, and can be done both at home or in a class. The other type of pilates (which is becoming increasingly popular) is <a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/the-amazing-pilates-reformer-2704339#:%7E:text=The%20reformer%20was%20invented%20by,by%20a%20set%20of%20springs.">reformer pilates</a>. This uses a specialised apparatus (called a reformer) – a bed-like frame with a flat platform on it. </p>
<p>The platform moves forward and backwards on wheels within the frame. The platform is attached to one end of the frame by springs and these produce tension. Most reformer pilates involves pushing or pulling the platform, or holding it steady as it’s pulled on by the strings. This movement engages several muscles – particularly the core.</p>
<h2>What the evidence says</h2>
<p>Pilates is a form of muscle strengthening exercise, which is well-known to be important for <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128">maintaining good health</a>. Strength training is important as it helps us prevent the slow muscle deterioration that occurs <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31343601/">as we get older</a>. It also increases muscle mass, which can in turn <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/">increase metabolism</a> – which is important for maintaining a healthy weight. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/core-strength-why-is-it-important-and-how-do-you-maintain-it-160358">Core strength: why is it important and how do you maintain it?</a>
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<p>There’s <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27607588/">some evidence</a> that doing eight weeks of pilates for one hour a day, four times a week can increase metabolism and reduce obesity in obese women. In older adults, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25773473/">a review of research</a> showed pilates training improved balance and helped prevent falls.</p>
<p>Another study even showed that inactive women who began performing only <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27195456/">one hour of pilates a week</a> for ten weeks had improved muscle mass, flexibility, balance and core strength. Research also shows that pilates may even be used to treat low back pain and improve balance in adults with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30623859/">multiple sclerosis</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31412676/">Parkinson’s’s disease</a>. </p>
<p>The evidence shows us that pilates can certainly <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35136681/">lead to several health benefits</a>. While more intense types of strength training – such as weight lifting – are likely to confer even greater benefits, pilates can still be a great way for people to control their weight and build strength. The best part about it is that this workout can be done by almost anyone anywhere, and doesn’t require a lot of equipment or a gym membership.</p>
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<img alt="Two women and one man perform a pilates move using a pilates reformer. They are lunging forward with one leg and holding their arms out." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482767/original/file-20220905-14-69qar3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The pilates reformer may help add more resistance to your movements.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pilates-class-athletes-doing-standing-lunge-1725671578">Photology1971/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Reformer v mat pilates</h2>
<p>Among people who do pilates, there’s a lot of discussion about which type is superior: mat or reformer pilates. </p>
<p>There’s actually little research out there comparing the two types. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24435105/">One study</a> looking at the treatment of low back pain found that both reformer pilates and mat pilates worked equally well to improve back pain in people who did the workout for six weeks. </p>
<p>Both types also equally improved people’s ability to undertake daily activities, such as getting out of bed or doing the dishes. But when participants were followed up four and a half months later, the reformer pilates group continued to experience improvements in their daily life compared to the mat pilates group. </p>
<p>Another study from Brazil also showed both reformer pilates and mat pilates used the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28361652/">same number of muscles</a> and activated them to the same extent – suggesting there’s no difference between the two methods, and that both are equally effective. But this conflicts with the findings of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33992270/">another study</a>, which showed reformer pilates caused people to burn more calories (2.6 calories per minute) than mat Pilates (1.9 calories per minute). </p>
<p>The reason for the slight differences between these two types of pilates comes down to how they’re performed. While mat pilates uses your body weight as resistance during the movements, reformer pilates uses the unstable platform and springs to create resistance. This might create greater resistance and activate more muscles. Though this wasn’t supported by the Brazilian study, they only looked at one movement, so more research is needed. </p>
<p>Although research can’t quite agree on whether mat pilates or reformer pilates is better for you, that doesn’t mean that reformer pilates isn’t still great for your health. For example, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35573507/">one study</a> showed that people who did reformer pilates for nine weeks had improved cholesterol levels and lower insulin resistance, suggesting that it can help maintain weight and lower the risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. </p>
<p>As you can see, pilates is becoming popular for good reason as it provides many health benefits. People of all ages and abilities can do it, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34215198/">pregnant women</a>. How you decide to do it is entirely up to you, but if you have health difficulties or are pregnant, you may want to consult your doctor first.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189829/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lindsay Bottoms does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This workout has seen a boost in popularity recently thanks to celebrity endorsements.Lindsay Bottoms, Reader in Exercise and Health Physiology, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1782092022-03-02T11:45:41Z2022-03-02T11:45:41ZJust 30-90 minutes of resistance training weekly decreases risk of premature death – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449504/original/file-20220302-21-1uavg31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5943%2C3709&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's important to do resistance training alongside other types of exercise.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-people-trainer-using-resistance-band-1454696495">Leszek Glasner/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s long been evidence that moderate aerobic exercise (think walking, running, or cycling) are good for your lifelong health and well-being. Research even shows us more active people also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673617316343?via%3Dihub">tend to live longer, healthier lives</a> with lower rates of disease – <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/41/3/e253/5139677">including cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular disease</a>. </p>
<p>But what about resistance exercise – like lifting weights? While it’s thought these kinds of exercises are probably also good for health and longevity, less evidence has existed showing the benefits. But a recent study now shows that <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2022/01/19/bjsports-2021-105061">30-90 minutes of resistance training a week</a> is enough to potentially decrease risk of premature death from all causes by 10%-20%.</p>
<p>The team of researchers from three universities in Japan conducted a meta-analysis – meaning they pooled data from 16 separate studies looking at longevity, disease risk and resistance exercise. This allowed them to look at tens of thousands of participants altogether.</p>
<p>They found that 30-90 minutes of resistance exercise per week was optimal for lowering overall risk of dying from all causes. More strikingly, they also found regularly performing more than three hours of strength training per week could actually increase risk of premature death by about 10%. </p>
<p>They also found that the optimal amount of time spent resistance training varied when it came to preventing different diseases. For example, while 40-60 minutes of strength training per week is optimal for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, the risk of diabetes continues to drop the more time a person spent resistance training each week. However, resistance training was shown to have no effect on the risk of some specific types of cancer, such as bowel, kidney or pancreatic. </p>
<p>The findings of this study are largely in line with what the NHS already recommends. According to them, adults aged 19 to 64 should aim to do <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/">two strength training sessions</a> per week in order to benefit their overall health. But given public health guidelines are often a compromise between what’s optimal to perform and what people won’t be put off by, it’s promising to see that the optimal amount of strength training per week to benefit health so closely mirrors current guidelines. </p>
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<img alt="A middle-aged man performs an arm exercise at the gym using a weight machine." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449505/original/file-20220302-12454-tkhu4z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Resistance exercise doesn’t just have to mean lifting weights.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/adult-age-man-working-training-gym-1289966182">VH-studio/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>There are a couple of limitations with this study. While the number of people pooled across the studies is large, the number of studies actually included in the analysis is still quite small. The participants of the study were also primarily North American or western European – so the findings may not be as relevant for people of many different ethnic backgrounds. Another limitation is that most of the studies included in the analysis relied on questionnaires of large groups of people asking about their exercise habits. The problem with this is that people may overestimate or lie about the amount of exercise they actually do. </p>
<h2>Optimal exercise</h2>
<p>Strength training is good for your overall health in many more ways than you might expect.</p>
<p>Besides the obvious – that it makes you stronger, for example – researchers are beginning to learn more about the role certain hormones and cells that are released during resistance exercise play in our body. </p>
<p>For example, myokines are hormones that our muscles release in response to all sorts of stimuli – <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32393961/">including exercise</a>. Circulating around the body, myokines are able to regulate metabolism, as well as liver, brain and kidney function. One specific myokine I’ve spent a career studying is myostatin. While we know that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22340904/">it regulates muscle size</a>, there’s all sorts of new evidence that it also influences <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34856088/">metabolism</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34634123/">fat cell growth</a> – which all play a role in helping us keep healthy and live longer. </p>
<p>Research also shows us that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34650440/">resistance exercise</a> releases tiny cell fragments from our muscle cells called “extracellular vesicles”. These allow our muscle tissues to better communicate with each other. While we don’t entirely know what they’re doing, we do know that they’re carrying RNA (a molecule similar to DNA), proteins and even mitochondria (which help convert food into energy our cells can use) from <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00738/full">cell to cell</a>. So although we aren’t entirely clear of their function yet, this is just another reminder of the influence our muscles have on many aspects of our health and body function.</p>
<p>However, the authors of this recent study only looked at the relationship between strength training and longevity. This means they didn’t look at why it has a protective effect – and why more than three hours of strength training per week was also linked to slightly greater risk of premature death. While we may be able to speculate on why strength training has this protective effect based on what other research has shown, more follow-up studies will be needed that really seek to explore these questions. </p>
<p>But while this study has shown strength training to be beneficial for preventing premature death from many harmful diseases, that doesn’t mean you should only strength train. It’s important to also do moderate intensity aerobic exercise (such as walking, jogging or cycling) most days of the week to optimise your chances of living a longer, healthier life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178209/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bradley Elliott receives funding from The Endocrine Society, The Physiological Society, the Quintin Hogg Charitable Trust and private philanthropic donors. He is affiliated with The Physiological Society, and is a Trustee of the British Society for Research on Ageing.</span></em></p>The study found that short amounts of weekly resistance exercise lowered risk of premature death from many different diseases by around 10-20%.Bradley Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1729412022-02-02T13:07:37Z2022-02-02T13:07:37Z50-year-old muscles just can’t grow big like they used to – the biology of how muscles change with age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443851/original/file-20220201-17-1pp1t44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=86%2C0%2C7971%2C5376&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why is it harder to build muscle as you age?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/senior-male-bodybuilder-flexing-his-biceps-royalty-free-image/1310652763?adppopup=true"> DjelicS/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is perhaps no better way to see the absolute pinnacle of human athletic abilities than by watching the Olympics. But at the Olympics – and at almost all professional sporting events – you rarely see a competitor over 40 years old and almost never see a single athlete over 50. This is because with every additional year spent on Earth, bodies age and muscles don’t respond to exercise the same as they used to. </p>
<p>I lead a team of scientists who study the health benefits of <a href="https://hnrca.tufts.edu/mission/">exercise, strength training and diet in older people</a>. We investigate how older people respond to exercise and try to understand the underlying biological mechanisms that cause muscles to increase in size and strength after resistance or strength training.</p>
<p>Old and young people build muscle in the same way. But as you age, many of the biological processes that turn exercise into muscle become less effective. This makes it harder for older people to build strength but also makes it that much more important for everyone to continue exercising as they age.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman spotting someone doing a bench press." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443854/original/file-20220201-17-1ljwx0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lifting weights and doing pushups and other strength training exercises cause muscles to grow in size and strength.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/wide-shot-of-woman-spotting-friend-bench-pressing-royalty-free-image/1346267080?adppopup=true">Thomas Barwick/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How the body builds muscle</h2>
<p>The exercise I study is the type that makes you stronger. Strength training includes exercises like pushups and situps, but also weightlifting and resistance training using bands or workout machines.</p>
<p>When you do strength training, over time, exercises that at first felt difficult become easier as your muscles increase in strength and size – a process called hypertrophy. Bigger muscles simply have larger muscle fibers and cells, and this allows you to lift heavier weights. As you keep working out, you can continue to increase the difficulty or weight of the exercises as your muscles get bigger and stronger.</p>
<p>It is easy to see that working out makes muscles bigger, but what is actually happening to the cells as muscles increase in strength and size in response to resistance training?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diagram showing how muscle contraction can move an arm." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443857/original/file-20220201-27-l8le9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Muscles move your limbs and body by contracting or releasing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/preface">J. Gordon Betts, Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Eddie Johnson, Brandon Poe, Dean H. Kruse, Oksana Korol, Jody E. Johnson, Mark Womble, Peter DeSaix via OpenStax</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Any time you move your body, you are doing so by shortening and pulling with your muscles – a process called contraction. This is how muscles spend energy to generate force and produce movement. Every time you contract a muscle – especially when you have to work hard to do the contraction, like when lifting weights – the action causes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-020-00290-7">changes to the levels of various chemicals in your muscles</a>. In addition to the chemical changes, there are also specialized receptors on the surface of muscle cells that detect when you move a muscle, generate force or otherwise <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-014-9921-0">alter the biochemical machinery within a muscle</a>. </p>
<p>In a healthy young person, when these chemical and mechanical sensory systems detect muscle movement, they turn on a number of specialized chemical pathways within the muscle. These pathways in turn trigger the production of more proteins that get incorporated into the muscle fibers and cause the muscle to increase in size.</p>
<p>These cellular pathways also turn on genes that code for specific proteins in cells that make up the muscles contracting machinery. This activation of gene expression is a longer-term process, with genes being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.05.011">turned on or off for several hours</a> after a single session of resistance exercise. </p>
<p>The overall effect of these many exercise-induced changes is to cause your muscles to get bigger.</p>
<h2>How older muscles change</h2>
<p>While the basic biology of all people, young or old, is more or less the same, something is behind the lack of senior citizens in professional sports. So what changes in a person’s muscles as they age?</p>
<p>What my colleagues and I have found in our research is that in young muscle, a little bit of exercise produces a strong signal for the many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00324.2003">processes that trigger muscle growth</a>. In older people’s muscles, by comparison, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01383.2003">signal telling muscles to grow is much weaker</a> for a given amount of exercise. These changes begin to occur when a person reaches around 50 years old and become more pronounced as time goes on.</p>
<p>In a recent study, we wanted to see if the changes in signaling were accompanied by any changes in which genes – and how many of them – respond to exercise. Using a technique that allowed us to measure changes in thousands of genes in response to resistance exercise, we found that when younger men exercise, there are changes in the expression of more than 150 genes. When we looked at older men, we found <a href="https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.14-254490">changes in the expression of only 42 genes</a>. This difference in gene expression seems to explain, at least partly, the more visible variation between how young and old people respond to strength training.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An older woman in a swimsuit flexing and showing off muscles." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443859/original/file-20220201-28-r1wl98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Strength training can help maintain overall fitness and allow you to keep doing other things you love as you age.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/older-caucasian-woman-flexing-her-muscles-on-beach-royalty-free-image/526298515">Peathegee Inc via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Staying fit as you age</h2>
<p>When you put together all of the various molecular differences in how older adults respond to strength training, the result is that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glp146">older people do not gain muscle mass as well as young people</a>.</p>
<p>But this reality should not discourage older people from exercising. If anything, it should encourage you to exercise more as you age. </p>
<p>Exercise still remains one of the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-physical-activity">most important activities older adults can do for their health</a>. The work my colleagues and I have done clearly shows that although the responses to training lessen with age, they are by no means reduced to zero.</p>
<p>We showed that older adults with mobility problems who participate in a regular program of aerobic and resistance exercise can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.5616">reduce their risk of becoming disabled by about 20%</a>. We also found a similar 20% reduction in risk of becoming disabled among <a href="https://doi.org/10.7326/M16-2011">people who are already physically frail</a> if they did the same workout program.</p>
<p>While younger people may get stronger and build bigger muscles much faster than their older counterparts, older people still get incredibly valuable health benefits from exercise, including improved strength, physical function and reduced disability. So the next time you are sweating during a workout session, remember that you are building muscle strength that is vital to maintaining mobility and good health throughout a long life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172941/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roger Fielding receives funding from USDA, NIH, Biophytis, Nestle', Lonza. </span></em></p>As people age, the chemical signaling pathways in muscles become less potent, and it gets harder to build muscle and maintain strength. But the health benefits of strength training only increase with age.Roger Fielding, Senior Scientist Team Lead Nutrition Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Team Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Professor of Medicine, Tufts UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1663502022-01-10T00:32:04Z2022-01-10T00:32:04ZWearable resistance: how to get stronger by simply moving, with a little help from small weights<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437527/original/file-20211214-15-n3ry7y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C125%2C3982%2C2532&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">AUT Running Jul </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">MCrawford</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s the time of year to make resolutions to improve fitness and strength, but this may not require a gym membership or even hard work. </p>
<p>Strength training can be effective with small weights, provided by household items like a small can of spaghetti or wearable resistance loads incorporated into clothing.</p>
<p>You might remember from your school physics classes that strength and force are fairly synonymous. The formula for force was given to us by Sir Isaac Newton: force = mass x acceleration. </p>
<p>When you think of getting stronger or improving the force of certain muscles, you may have visions of lifting relatively heavy weights. But because of the large mass, you can’t move a heavy load quickly. As a result your movement velocities and accelerations are small. </p>
<p>But the Newtonian formula shows there is another possibility for improving strength. This type of training highlights the velocity and acceleration of movement, which means the masses have to be small or light – like the wearable resistance 600g weights the sprinter in this video is using on his thighs.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YxqojDRuAhE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A sprinter training with 600g wearable resistance weights on his thighs.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Depending on whether he is doing a tempo run or a sprint, the angular velocity at his hip can be between 400 to 1000 degrees per second, in other words very fast. </p>
<h2>Wearable resistance</h2>
<p>From a physics perspective, there are two ways to develop strength. You either move heavy loads slowly or light loads quickly.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Bodybuilder doing strength training in the gym" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437388/original/file-20211214-17-1nbykd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A bodybuilder is training by lifting heavy weights.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/AAR Studio</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wearable resistance refers to strength training where you affix a load to your body in some manner. It takes advantage of the concept of moving small masses (micro-loading) at high velocities. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Athlete wearing shorts with small weights incorporated" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=674&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=846&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=846&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437531/original/file-20211214-21-14w1rxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=846&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An athlete wears small loads as part of strength training.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That small mass is being accelerated and decelerated at high rates, which in turn loads the muscles substantially. </p>
<p>Let’s add one more layer of physics to show how micro-loading with wearable resistance trains strength. Have you heard of inertia? It describes the resistance to a change in motion. Resistance is a function of mass.</p>
<p>For example, if you place a 400g weight on your mid-thigh, then your thigh is 400g heavier and therefore requires more muscular effort to accelerate and decelerate. If you place the same weight further away from the rotating hip joint, you’ll need to put in more muscular effort to get it going because that loading has greater rotational inertia. </p>
<p>It’s this rotational inertia you are really interested in when it comes to assessing the muscle training with limb-loaded wearable resistance. It is important to understand so you can use it safely and effectively.</p>
<p>The formula here is: rotational inertia = mass x radius²</p>
<p>Let’s take the thigh as an example. The thigh requires rotational force (torque) to move it. The larger the thigh mass, the more muscular effort (torque) is required by the hip flexors and extensors. </p>
<p>By simply adding more wearable resistance to the thigh you can increase the rotational inertia, which means more muscular effort or turning force (torque) is required at the hip joint. </p>
<p>But let’s not forget the second part of the formula (r²), which describes where we put the mass. This has a bigger influence on rotational inertia (muscular effort) because the distance between the joint and the added weight (radius) is squared. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/resistance-band-workouts-are-everywhere-but-do-they-work-167153">Resistance band workouts are everywhere – but do they work?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Increasing the training effect</h2>
<p>I have modelled the rotational inertia associated with the thigh of a 86kg athlete. In the table you can see the rotational inertia for a variety of loads when they are placed mid-thigh. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="This table shows values for rotational inertia associated with different loads placed mid-thigh" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437525/original/file-20211214-19-1jbddg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This table shows how rotational inertia changes with heavier loads placed mid-thigh.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By shifting the load further down the leg, you can increase the rotational inertia, for example from 4.7% to 12.1% for a 400g load. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="This table shows values for rotational inertia associated with different loads placed above the knee" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437526/original/file-20211214-19-14z2h2i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When the load is placed further away from the hip joint, the muscles have to work harder.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is called distal loading and it is one of the most important parameters to understand with wearable resistance. For every centimetre you move from the axis of rotation, the distance is squared and hence has a substantial effect on rotational inertia and therefore the muscular work required.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-older-adults-can-get-back-to-exercising-without-the-worry-of-an-injury-164181">Four ways older adults can get back to exercising – without the worry of an injury</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p>Wearable resistance micro-loading provides an alternative to traditional strength training with heavy loads. It also has the added bonus of happening as part of what you are doing anyway, such as walking or swimming. For the time-poor, this is good news as the gym can take on less importance.</p>
<p>By slipping a weight further away from the rotating joint, you can systematically and progressively increase the training effect on your muscles without adding weight. </p>
<p>As a result of the greater mechanical load, your metabolic activity and calorie burning increase. There are many possible applications of wearable resistance training beyond strength and fitness building, including for general health, injury prevention and recovery.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166350/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Cronin has worked for Lila Movement Technology, Malaysia and received shares in the company previously. He no longer receives funding or shares from this organisation.</span></em></p>You don’t have to join a weightlifting class to build strength in your muscles. Adding small loads while walking or swimming will have a similar training effect.John Cronin, Professor, Strength and Conditioning, Auckland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735342021-12-31T12:25:01Z2021-12-31T12:25:01ZWeightlifting: how beginners can get started this new year<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438802/original/file-20211222-167342-1p95pov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=67%2C0%2C7500%2C4996&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Weightlifting isn't as intimidating as it might look.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/older-man-lifting-weights-supervised-by-1174033153">PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Weightlifting has become <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20139328/">increasingly popular</a> with people looking to get in shape. Not only can it be a great way to <a href="https://theconversation.com/resistance-training-heres-why-its-so-effective-for-weight-loss-146453">lose weight</a>, it can also build strength and prevent muscle loss as we age.</p>
<p>But knowing how to start weightlifting can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t been a regular gym user, or typically enjoy doing other types of exercise, like running. </p>
<p>Here a couple of tips to help you start weightlifting this new year:</p>
<h2>1. Before you start</h2>
<p>If you’re completely new to weightlifting, it might be best to book a gym induction to learn about the equipment and how to properly use it. It may also be good to look for gyms that meet your needs and experience level – or even consider hiring a trainer. </p>
<p>Another thing to think about when starting are your goals. Ask yourself what you want to achieve, and in what time frame? How much time do you have a day or week to train? Establishing goals will help motivate you and give you something to aim for. Teaming up with a friend or colleague may also encourage you to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yuri-Feito/publication/316973250_Challenge_Commitment_Community_and_Empowerment_Factors_that_Promote_the_Adoption_of_CrossFit_as_a_Training_Program/links/59231c3daca27295a8a7c94b/Challenge-Commitment-Community-and-Empowerment-Factors-that-Promote-the-Adoption-of-CrossFit-as-a-Training-Program.pdf">stick to your goal</a>. </p>
<h2>2. Choosing your weights</h2>
<p>If you’re new to the gym, using <a href="https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/resistance-training-for-health.pdf?sfvrsn=d2441c0_2">resistance machines</a> is a good start. These have a fixed position and pathway, which helps guide your movements. This makes them easier to use than free weights (such as a dumbbell) and can help build your <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40279-018-0862-z.pdf">confidence and strength</a>. They may also be good for people with a limited range of motion. Start with compound exercises, such using a leg press or seated rowing machine, which work many muscle groups. </p>
<p>However, free weights can still be a beginner option. These are good for isolating muscles and correcting imbalance (for example, if one arm or leg is weaker than the other), but require more stability and awareness of your working muscles. Many free weight exercises, such as squatting, deadlifting or push-ups, are also similar to <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00172/full">movements we use</a> everyday. This may mean you <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marzo-Da-Silva-Grigoletto/publication/336369362_Strength_and_Endurance_Influence_on_the_Trunk_Muscle_in_the_Functional_Performance_of_Elderly_Women/links/5dae490392851c577eb96dab/Strength-and-Endurance-Influence-on-the-Trunk-Muscle-in-the-Functional-Performance-of-Elderly-Women.pdf">develop strength</a> that’s more transferable to daily tasks, such as carrying heavy shopping bags.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An older woman performing a barbell squat outdoors." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438803/original/file-20211222-13-y211tm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A barbell squat is one example of an exercise you can perform using free weights.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-gray-hair-1763092607">knelson20/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>As free weights don’t have a fixed pathway, it’s important to ensure you’re focusing on your technique when using them to avoid injury. Using mirrors, taking a video or asking a coach or friend to watch you may also help you with your form.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether you use machines or free weights, you should always try to focus on pain-free movement and good technique. </p>
<h2>3. Progress gradually</h2>
<p>While it might be tempting to jump straight in, it’s important to ensure you don’t do too much all at once. Not only can this cause <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1421497/">delayed onset muscle soreness</a>, which may make it more difficult to exercise, it can also result in injury. In rare cases, overdoing it at the gym might cause <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-intensity-workouts-may-put-regular-gym-goers-at-risk-of-rhabdomyolysis-a-rare-but-dangerous-condition-142088">rhabdomyolysis</a>, a potentially life-threatening condition which results from muscle damage and could lead to kidney failure. </p>
<p>To avoid injury and build fitness, work towards <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Progression_Models_in_Resistance_Training_for.26.aspx">progressive overload</a> which involves adding more repetitions or weight the next time you perform an exercise. Start off with a light load focusing on proper technique – even if this means using no weight at first. For a beginner, you might also only train twice a week for the first two or three weeks as your body gets used to your new routine to avoid injury.</p>
<p>As you begin to improve, you can increase weekly training frequency or try gradually increasing the number of repetitions of the weight you’re lifting. To increase strength and muscle, it’s recommended that the number of reps you do is still challenging. Depending on <a href="https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/PAG_Advisory_Committee_Report.pdf">how much weight you’re lifting</a>, this may range anywhere between eight to 12 repetitions of an exercise, repeated three or four times, twice a week. For beginners, it will take <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.01493/full">around six weeks</a> before you see a small increase in muscle.</p>
<p>When an exercise becomes easier to perform, or if you need to do more repetitions to feel the same effect as you used to, it’s probably a sign to increase the weight you’re lifting.</p>
<h2>4. Rest</h2>
<p>When you have a goal in mind, such as losing weight or building strength, you might want to exercise every day. But taking a <a href="https://sites.millersville.edu/mdupain/chap11/Resistance.pdf">day or two off</a> every week is important for avoiding injury and allowing your muscles to recover and grow. </p>
<p>Feeling overly fatigued, irritated, lacking concentration or not sleeping well are all signs you need a <a href="https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/a-road-map-to-effective-muscle-recovery.pdf?sfvrsn=a4f24f46_2">rest day</a>. Light activities such as stretching, yoga or a walk, are great ways to reset and recover. Eating a good, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02640414.2011.574722?needAccess=true">nutritious diet</a> is also important for helping your muscles recover.</p>
<p>While weightlifting might seem intimidating, it’s something that can be done by anyone at <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243652&type=printable">any age</a>, and can be easily adapted according to a person’s abilities. Importantly, it may take a bit of trial and error to find what exercises work best for you and which ones you most enjoy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173534/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angus Hunter receives funding from UKRI</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Athalie Redwood-Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Weightlifting can be done by people of all ages and fitness levels.Athalie Redwood-Brown, Senior Lecturer in Performance Analysis of Sport, Nottingham Trent UniversityAngus Hunter, Professor in Neuromuscular Physiology and Head of Sport Sciences, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1671532021-09-15T10:38:02Z2021-09-15T10:38:02ZResistance band workouts are everywhere – but do they work?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421331/original/file-20210915-14-13qjv26.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">And streeeetch ...</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-legs-sports-leggings-sneakers-doing-1695953812">Vladimir Sukhachev</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Resistance-band exercises have been all over social media during the pandemic. In case you aren’t familiar with them, resistance bands are similar to an elastic band, usually made from a synthetic fibre like latex or rubber. You can loop them around your legs or arms, for example, which helps create more tension while you work out. This tension makes it more difficult to do movements, and engages more muscles, which some claim will help you build strength and muscle.</p>
<p>Many of us know that <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">strength training</a> is important. Not only can it help us build strength, it can slow muscle deterioration <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6586834/">as we get older</a>, while increasing muscle mass can also <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/">increase metabolism</a>. While you can build some strength through bodyweight-only exercises like squats or lunges, often the key to building a greater amount of strength is by creating resistance. </p>
<p>This is often done using weights or weight machines. But in recent years – especially at the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7674902/">height of the pandemic</a> – resistance bands have become a popular way of creating this resistance to build strength. This means you can get the benefits of extra strength without needing to spend hours in the gym lifting weights.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mka5ZLE2RI0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>Resistance bands can be used easily at home, don’t take up much room and are cheap, which may be some of the reasons they’re so popular. Different bands also have different levels of resistance – such as light or heavy – which work your muscles with different degrees of difficulty, making them suitable for people of all different fitness levels.</p>
<p>Research shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383082/">strength gains</a> from using elastic resistance bands are similar to training with dumbbells or weight machines, benefiting not only the average person but also <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19387404/">benefit athletes</a>. Resistance-band training can even increase <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29599855/">the stabiliser muscles</a> to a greater extent than weight training. This muscle group is important as it supports our larger muscles and joints during movement, and helps us from getting injured. Strengthening them can improve movement and stability, and is why resistance bands are often used <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/sms.12187">for rehabilitation</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five resistance bands with varying degrees of tension, from extra light to extra heavy." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421318/original/file-20210915-21-aok8su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Different bands create a different amount of tension.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/set-bright-multicolored-latex-rubber-bands-1670955322">Natalia Plekhanova/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Meanwhile, older people can benefit from using resistance bands where using free weights is not always practical – perhaps because they can’t easily get to a gym, for example. Not only is exercising with resistance bands safe for older adults, it can help <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jocn.15950">reduce frailty</a>. Resistance bands can also improve balance, flexibility and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29430940/">body composition</a> (less body fat and more muscle). </p>
<h2>Pros and cons</h2>
<p>It’s thought that around half of those who start weight training using traditional weights give up <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383082/#bibr14-2050312119831116">within one year</a> due to the logistical difficulties and financial costs. Resistance bands may be an easier way to build strength and may encourage people to use them long-term.</p>
<p>All the same, they have their drawbacks. You only reach the maximum resistance when the band is extended <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11509073/">as far as</a> it can go. But with free weights, resistance is consistent throughout the movement. You can also easily add more resistance (by lifting a heavier weight) or remove resistance (decreasing the weight you’re lifting). Though you can use a band that has greater resistance to get more strength gains, these gains may not be as great as with using weights. </p>
<p>So while the strength gains from doing exercises with the resistance bands <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383082/">are similar to</a> conventional methods such as free weights <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383082/">a review</a>, you can work against greater resistances with free weights, so in this instance you will gain greater strength. There is <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2015/11000/Effects_of_Variable_Resistance_Training_on_Maximal.35.aspx">some support</a> for using resistance bands in conjunction with free weights to maximise strength gains: with the fixed resistance from the free weight and the varied resistance from the resistance band.</p>
<p>But while it’s important to understand these limitations with resistance bands, they can still be an effective way to build muscle and strength. Given that they’re cheap and easy to access, they may be a good option for people getting started with exercising or who don’t want to pay for a gym membership. This means almost everyone can get the benefits of strength training without needing to lift heavy weights.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167153/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lindsay Bottoms does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Resistance bands are cheap, portable and easily incorporated into many exercise regimes.Lindsay Bottoms, Reader in Exercise and Health Physiology, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1658102021-08-11T02:56:24Z2021-08-11T02:56:24ZUse it or rapidly lose it: how to keep up strength training in lockdown<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415179/original/file-20210809-15-hmsoqo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=41%2C10%2C6837%2C4578&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’re among the millions in lockdown, ask yourself: when was the last time you did some strength training? </p>
<p>Many of us are regularly going for walks or runs during lockdown but, with gyms closed in a lot of places it’s more difficult to lift weights, and we may neglect bodyweight exercises like push-ups.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, when it comes to muscle mass, it’s a case of use it or rapidly lose it.</p>
<h2>Short- and long-term consequences</h2>
<p>Research shows <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15356032/">periods</a> of muscle disuse can lead to staggeringly <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19654872">rapid</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31688656">significant</a> loss of muscle mass, even in young people.</p>
<p>Beyond the obvious decline in strength and function, loss of lean muscle mass can affect metabolism, increase type 2 diabetes and obesity risk and weaken your bones. In older people, it’s associated with cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, cognitive impairment, depression, falls and fractures.</p>
<p>That’s why it’s so crucial to keep up your strength training and maintain muscle mass, even in lockdown. The good news is there is plenty of strength training exercises you can do at home, even without special equipment. </p>
<p>Try as best you can to match your usual strength training routine during this time or, if you don’t have one, begin building it into your day.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman does exercise at home with kids." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415391/original/file-20210810-17-1tk5hs6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reductions in muscle mass have serious short- and long-term consequences, so keep up the strength training during lockdown.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-muscle-wasting-condition-sarcopenia-is-now-a-recognised-disease-but-we-can-all-protect-ourselves-119458">The muscle-wasting condition 'sarcopenia' is now a recognised disease. But we can all protect ourselves</a>
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<h2>Young people are not immune to muscle mass loss</h2>
<p>Many think of muscle mass loss as a problem that mostly affects older people, but even people in their early 20s can experience rapid muscle loss under certain conditions.</p>
<p>One <a href="https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/65/10/2862">study</a> of men in their early 20s found just one week of strict bed rest resulted in an average loss of around 1.4kg in whole-body lean mass. </p>
<p>Another <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19654872/">study</a>, involving young people who had one leg immobilised by knee brace, observed muscle size decreased in the immobilised legs by approximately 5% over two weeks. Strength decreased by 10-20%.</p>
<p>Clearly, lockdowns do not enforce the same degree of muscle disuse as bed rest or immobilisation.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17461391.2020.1761076">studies</a> where people decreased their usual physical activity levels, it took just two weeks or so for worrying changes in lean mass, insulin sensitivity and function to show up.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man does a push-up with a kid on his back." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415404/original/file-20210810-17-ry0f6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Anything you can do to find ways to maintain activity and reduce sedentary time during lockdowns is likely to limit or prevent significant muscle loss.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Decline can happen in fits and starts</h2>
<p>People in my field of research talk a lot about “sarcopenia”: the age-related loss of muscle mass and function that begins in your 30s and can accelerate as you age. </p>
<p>Traditionally, we’ve thought of sarcopenia as occurring in a largely linear fashion.</p>
<p>However, a newer idea suggests this decline may <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2042018819888824">not be so linear</a> after all. Perhaps it happens in fits and starts, where acute episodes of sedentary behaviour (often due to illness or hospitalisation) result in repeated short but severe declines in muscle mass. Researchers call this a “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276215/">catabolic crisis model</a>”.</p>
<p>According to this idea, muscle mass recovers at the end of each acute episode, but never quite returns to its initial quantity. Over time, an accumulation of episodes results in substantial muscle loss and severely compromised physical function.</p>
<p>Of course, some people may be exercising more than usual during lockdown. That’s great! But <a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M17-0212">sedentary behaviour</a> can easily creep in. One <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2020.1841396">study</a> of people under lockdown found increases in walking and moderate physical activity were only around 10 minutes per day, whereas sedentary behaviour increased by around 75 minutes per day. </p>
<p>And of <a href="https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000960.abstract">64 studies</a> exploring changes in activity related to COVID-19 lockdowns, most observed decreases in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviour.</p>
<p>Anything you can do to find ways to maintain activity and reduce sedentary time during lockdowns is likely to limit or prevent significant muscle loss.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman does some planking at home on a mat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415406/original/file-20210810-23-dss47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Anything you can do to find ways to maintain activity and reduce sedentary time during lockdowns is likely to limit or prevent significant muscle loss.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to build and maintain muscle at home</h2>
<p>Resistance training is unequivocally the best way to build and strengthen muscle. This is any type of exercise that causes your muscles to contract against an external resistance. </p>
<p>The classic example of resistance training is using a weights machine but there are plenty of resistance exercises you can do at home with little or no equipment, including: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>“equipment-free” strengthening exercises such as push-ups, planks, triceps dips, lunges, squats, calf raises and sit-ups</p></li>
<li><p>exercises using dumbbells or resistance bands if you’ve got them. If you don’t, try lifting bricks, full milk bottles, or any heavy household item</p></li>
<li><p>functional “power” exercises like climbing a flight of stairs as quickly (and safely) as you can or seeing how many times you can get up and sit down in a chair in 30 seconds. Try deadlifts with a heavy item, or pushing a loaded wheelbarrow outside.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman does tricep dips at home." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415563/original/file-20210811-22-1o6wiq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Strengthening exercises such as push-ups, planks, tricep dips, lunges, squats, calf raises and sit-ups can be done at home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aim for at least 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity. Brisk walking, jogging, cycling or swimming is great. However, at least two days a week you should be doing resistance exercises to build and maintain muscle mass.</p>
<p>If time is an issue, try splitting your exercise into short 5-10 minute “snacks” across the day. This “exercise snacking” is a great way to break up long periods of sedentary time during lockdown. </p>
<p>Try to integrate resistance exercises into your daily chores. If you need something from a lower drawer, for example, don’t bend down to get it — do a squat. Do some single-legged squats and calf raises while washing up.</p>
<p>Need a video for guidance? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8ynxqwHnAc">This</a> one and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06msLl_wMtM">this</a> one are pretty good for younger and fitter people. If you’re older, or just getting into fitness, try <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev6yE55kYGw">this</a> one or <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/home-workout-videos/">this</a> one. </p>
<h2>Start ‘banking’ muscle early in life</h2>
<p>Through regular exercise, children, adolescents and young adults can accumulate and maintain higher amounts of muscle mass. In doing so, they can likely avoid significant loss of independence in older age. </p>
<p>Just like superannuation, we need to start making “muscle deposits” early and often throughout life.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stay-fit-and-active-at-home-during-the-coronavirus-self-isolation-134044">How to stay fit and active at home during the coronavirus self-isolation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165810/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Scott has been a consultant for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and Abbott Nutrition. He has received competitive research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and Amgen Australia. He is a Council member of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR), and Chair of the ANZSSFR Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Taskforce.
</span></em></p>Many think of muscle mass loss as a problem that mostly affects older people, but even people in their early 20s can experience rapid muscle loss under certain conditions.David Scott, Associate Professor (Research) and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1655592021-08-06T12:36:37Z2021-08-06T12:36:37ZBlood flow restriction training: how Olympians use it to boost performance<p>To be the best of the best, Olympians and Paralympians sometimes resort to using peculiar methods to achieve even the most minute gains in their fitness and performance. For example, things like ice baths and cupping are popular with elite athletes. More recently, many Olympians have been spotted wearing black cuffs around their muscles during workouts – a practice known as blood flow restriction training. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2012.00392/full">Blood flow restriction training</a> sees athletes strap a cuff or band around their muscles – not unlike the kind of cuff you might use when having your blood pressure measured – which is then inflated. This cuff reduces blood flow to the muscle, leading to less oxygen being transported to the muscle cells.</p>
<p>Since oxygen is needed to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-201X.1998.0331e.x?casa_token=4jXqZXhzrAgAAAAA:lZqkfJKCQkQA0vU6WqUIxzpI356FSkp65N0xnAWGvJiLXJzL0fDv9PisGtZWQ7ojKvFqDhmBCRZh">help the muscles recover</a>, when it’s limited, so is recovery during the workout. This means that it requires more effort for the body to work – so much so that even during a less intense workout, the exercises becomes harder <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/japplphysiol.00982.2020">because there is more fatigue</a>. Once the workout is finished, the cuff is removed – allowing blood to surge into the muscle cells. This is thought to accelerate recovery post-workout, and fitness levels. </p>
<p>This is an emerging area of research, so there’s still much to be learned about it. But the evidence we currently have is compelling and explains why it’s becoming a <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/japplphysiol.00982.2020">popular approach with elite athletes</a>. </p>
<p>For athletes for whom strength is important, such as hammer throwers or wrestlers, blood flow restriction training <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.13632?casa_token=FC9Iy3UlZFAAAAAA%253ATqdZ1d1cJOT3vWkNvpJ6AW5YINxfiZ9HNpOeZq0ZAg3ihT7ND8Es0Wf1HdBRDD2APpoDyl_hgHQb">has been shown</a> to increase the maximum amount an athlete can lift by around 6-19%. It’s thought this happens because blood flow restriction training increases the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6553970/">amount of protein</a> the body uses, and protein is necessary for helping the body change and develop muscle and strength. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_RkL72SjFJ8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Olympic wrestler Kayla Miracle using blood flow restriction training during a workout.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Blood flow restriction training has also been shown to benefit endurance athletes. Endurance is all about being able to <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00793.2019">circulate enough oxygen</a> to the muscles that need it. Using blood flow restriction training during endurance training (such as while cycling or running) has been shown to lead to the body developing <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17461391.2017.1422281">additional blood vessels</a> – which ultimately helps increase the rate of blood flow to the muscles. </p>
<p>It is the <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP277657">stress on the blood vessels</a> that ultimately helps the body develop additional blood vessels. More blood vessels means more oxygen-rich blood going to the muscles, which is needed for recovery and also performance. This ideally means an athlete will perform better in competition.</p>
<p>Blood flow restriction training alongside endurance training also increases the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01796/full">size and number of mitochondria</a> (which generates most of a cell’s energy) circulating in the body. This thereby improves the body’s use of stored glycogen (which acts a fuel to the body), ultimately leading to better endurance performance.</p>
<h2>Olympic effort</h2>
<p>For Olympic and Paralympic athletes, even the most minute gains in their performance can mean the difference between a gold medal and last place. </p>
<p>The problem is that the fitter a person becomes through years of accumulated training, the smaller their <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-201X.1996.483230000.x">improvements in fitness</a> become. An example of this can be seen in the slowing in athlete personal best performance as they get older. </p>
<p>For any athlete to become physically fit, they need to undergo physiological adaptations – like when the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200737030-00004">size of a muscle increases</a> through strength training or the heart <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413117302310">increases in size from endurance training</a>. But these adaptations – which are affected by the intensity, frequency and duration of training – are fundamentally <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/jphysiol.1995.sp020533">impacted by the recovery after the training</a>. Recovery is where the adaptations occur. If recovery is not sufficient, the adaptation is reduced.</p>
<p>Training leads to fatigue – and the amount of fatigue that’s produced <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2012.00142/full">dictates the size of the adaptation</a>. But you also need to give the muscles time to adapt and recover. In other words, fatigue plus recovery equals fitness gains. Blood flow restriction training causes greater fatigue on the muscles – and more quickly – so as long as an athlete gives their muscles time to recover, it allows them to adapt more quickly than they might have otherwise.</p>
<p>For elite athletes, where gains in physiological adaptation are marginal because they’re approaching their genetic limits, the use of blood flow restriction training is used to push their training adaptations to the limit – and make these adaptations happen more quickly. And, as many athletes suffer from injuries during training, blood flow restriction training <a href="https://paulogentil.com/pdf/TREINO%20DE%20FORC%CC%A7A/Applications%20of%20vascular%20occlusion%20diminish%20disuse%20atrophy%20%28hypertrophy%29.pdf">can help to speed up the recovery</a> by encouraging gains from less demanding workouts.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165559/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many athletes have been seen strapping cuffs around their muscles during workouts – but does it have any affect on their performance?Dan Gordon, Associate Professor: Cardiorespiratory Exercise Physiology, Anglia Ruskin UniversityJulien Desanlis, PhD Researcher, Sport Physiology, Université Paris-SaclayMarie Gernigon, Associate Professor, Sport Sciences, Université Paris-SaclayLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1641812021-08-04T10:02:16Z2021-08-04T10:02:16ZFour ways older adults can get back to exercising – without the worry of an injury<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/414521/original/file-20210804-13-vphbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C0%2C5200%2C3464&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Exercise is important for maintaining muscle mass.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-senior-couple-running-together-park-189877862">Tom Wang/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We naturally lose muscle mass as we get older. This process starts around the age of 36, and by the time we are 80 we’ve <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10522-018-9775-3">lost about 50%</a> of our muscle mass. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2042018819888824">Long periods of inactivity</a> can also cause us to lose a greater amount of muscle mass than we might normally. This has been the case <a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/06/15/covid-19-will-be-followed-by-a-deconditioning-pandemic/">during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, as many of us were less able to exercise as much as we use to do. </p>
<p>While most young people will be able to bounce back and regain their muscle mass easily, it may not be as easy for older people. This is because it can be more difficult to gain muscle mass as we age due to the changes in muscle structure, and doing too much too quickly can result in serious injuries. This is why older people need to get the balance right when easing back into exercise again. </p>
<h2>Maintaining muscle mass</h2>
<p>Maintaining muscle is important for many reasons. As we age, frailty can make it more difficult for us to be independent and do the things we need to do each day – from going shopping to meeting our friends. Being active maintains a healthy musculoskeletal system whilst also <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2016/205/7/sarcopenia-potential-cause-and-consequence-type-2-diabetes-australias-ageing">protecting us from some diseases</a>, such as type 2 diabetes. Research also shows that strong active muscles can help <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966636218317119">prevent falls</a> and <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/24/1557.abstract">lower injury risk</a>. </p>
<p>But while it may be tempting to hit the gym and start lifting weights now that many COVID-19 restrictions have eased in the UK, if it’s been a while since you last exercised regularly, it’s important to ease back into things. Weak and de-conditioned muscles take time to build strength and doing too much vigorous, repetitive exercise can overload muscles and joints that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1080603221000752?casa_token=C9c_pYcrqEEAAAAA:xhE7cdu4UVsYNhhh2VMp7vbTbu7Y9A11dshpGAencdS_MOh2w_u9Yz3wHd8EXZhxbgVG6vHHSPs">have not been trained</a>, leading to injury. </p>
<p>Here are a few ways to get moving again without injuring yourself: </p>
<p><strong>1. Progress slowly.</strong></p>
<p>It’s best to gradually return to activity so you don’t overdo things or injure yourself. A staged approach, where you slowly introduce different exercises, will allow your muscles to recover between each session. Beginning with basic exercises <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00325481.2020.1860394">around the house</a> is a good starting point. </p>
<p>Then increasing the number and type of exercises you do can also help you from getting <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17461391.2017.1358767">fatigued</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01235-1">losing form</a> – which are prime conditions for an injury to occur. For example, starting with a short walk that then gets longer and progresses to a hill or rougher terrain allows for slow and persistent challenges for your body to become accustomed to while still helping you stay interested in exercising. </p>
<p><strong>2. Reduce the time you spend sitting.</strong></p>
<p>Long periods of sitting, if you have had to isolate or if you are working from home, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2165079917737558">significantly reduces muscle activity</a> – and therefore muscle mass. So if you haven’t kept exercising during the pandemic, you can’t expect to pick up where you left off. </p>
<p>Take frequent breaks between meetings and introduce a walk at lunch. Stretching and moving around after long periods of sitting prevents fatigue and shortening of muscles – which can improve posture and balance, too. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Older woman out for a jog on a pier by a lake." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/414523/original/file-20210804-15-eslk3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Get moving during your lunch break.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-jogging-round-tarn-beautiful-222565624">Halfpoint/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>3. Shake up the exercises you do.</strong></p>
<p>Intense repetition of the same movement or activity can cause wear and tear, often referred to as <a href="https://pmj.bmj.com/content/80/946/438?ct=">repetitive strain</a>. This is why it’s important to do different exercises, instead of the same thing every day. Alongside cardio workouts, which have benefits for our heart, lung, and circulatory system, try <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17461391.2017.1305454">strength training</a>. </p>
<p>Challenging our muscles as we get older with weight lifting and resistance training not only improves <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiol.00044.2018?journalcode=physiologyonline">neuromuscular function</a> – the communication between the brain and muscles – but improves <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-020-04466-7">balance and mobility</a> too. Taking part in exercises that work your cardiovascular system as well as strengthen muscles improves <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2019/08000/Resistance_Training_for_Older_Adults__Position.1.aspxSome">overall wellbeing</a>.</p>
<p><strong>4. Work on the small things.</strong></p>
<p>It’s important to work on our big prime muscles – such as our glutes or quads – with walking, running and gym exercises. But it’s just as important to work on our small postural muscles too. </p>
<p>For example, the small intrinsic muscles in our feet play an important role in improving <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966636218317119?casa_token=Lweo4eJJwgYAAAAA:AnadpeCFxhMef4_B-6Glywxw3yOk15pt9PmHvRU33GgndMysWTcPnmgQGy-iBVM2pqS19fBH0hE">strength and balance</a>. Gripping a soft ball between your toes is an easy way to <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/japma/article-abstract/108/5/355/152369/The-Effect-of-Toe-Flexion-Exercises-on-Grip">improve these small foot muscles</a>. </p>
<p>Having stability within the joints of your body from postural muscles also allows for these big muscle groups to do their job when walking, running or at the gym. Paying attention to these core postural muscles with activation and control exercises will help <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1941738113481200">prevent injury</a>.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to get back to a regular exercise routine after many months off, it’s important to make sure you take things slow and change up your routine often. Developing a healthy balance of cardiovascular, strength and resistance training as well as core stability work will improve your musculoskeletal health as well as helping your <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2018/7856823/">overall health</a> whilst preventing injury.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164181/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Branthwaite does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If it’s been a while since your last workout, it’s important to take things slowly.Helen Branthwaite, Senior Lecturer, Clinical Biomechanics, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1642952021-07-26T12:01:41Z2021-07-26T12:01:41ZKids’ grip strength is improving, but other measures of muscle fitness are getting worse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412751/original/file-20210722-23-rvys6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=81%2C27%2C5925%2C3953&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Climbing in the playground is just one of many activities kids can do to improve muscle fitness.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/children-playing-at-the-park-royalty-free-image/1252389648">Fran Polito/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Physical fitness in kids refers to their ability to perform physical activity. Their fitness level is not only important for success in sports and athletics, but also for good health.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/aerobic-exercise-examples">Aerobic fitness</a> – the ability to supply oxygen to the body’s big muscles during continuous physical activities, such as running, biking or swimming – has long been known as important to health in kids as well as adults. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/muscular-strength">Muscle fitness</a> refers to the ability of the muscles to produce force maximally, quickly and repeatedly – otherwise known as strength, power and endurance. </p>
<p>Research on the health benefits of muscle fitness for children and adolescents has increased significantly in the past decade. One <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0196-4">systematic review</a> of this research found that low muscle fitness was associated with high body fat, poor bone health and low self-esteem, as well as a high risk of developing heart disease in later life. </p>
<p>Findings like these are why both the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955">World Health Organization</a> and <a href="https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a> now recommend that kids aged 5 to 17 years participate in muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week.</p>
<p>We are a <a href="https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=zkHyhA4AAAAJ">professor of kinesiology</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=zELVQ4gAAAAJ&hl=en">an epidemiologist</a> who conduct research that focuses on physical fitness and health. In 2019, our research team published <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097982">a study</a> that compiled more than 30 years of aerobic fitness data on 1 million kids from 19 high- and upper-middle-income countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. We found that the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kids-fitness-is-improving-but-they-still-arent-as-fit-as-their-parents-were-91533">aerobic fitness</a> of kids in these countries significantly declined from 1981 to about 2000, with little change ever since. </p>
<p>This research got us wondering: Has kids’ muscle fitness also declined? So we decided to take a look at that as well.</p>
<h2>The muscle fitness of today’s kids</h2>
<p>Our research team reviewed hundreds of studies. They contained decades of data on the muscle fitness of tens of millions of kids aged 9 to 17 years, mostly from high- and upper-middle-income countries. We focused on the measurements of grip strength, standing long jump for leg power and sit-ups for abdominal endurance, because these are the most common ways researchers worldwide measure kids’ muscle fitness.</p>
<p>We found that in most of these countries, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01265-0">grip strength</a> has progressively improved since the 1960s. We also found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01394-6">leg power</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1763764">abdominal endurance</a> had improved to about the year 2000, then declined. </p>
<p>So it appears that today’s kids have better grip strength than their parents and grandparents had when they were kids. Their leg power and abdominal endurance is better than what their grandparents had, but the same or worse than their parents. </p>
<h2>What’s the cause?</h2>
<p>To explain these findings, our research team looked at several national trends in each country, including trends in muscle fitness, physical activity levels, body size and income inequality. </p>
<p><iframe id="1ukkM" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/1ukkM/6/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>We found no significant links between muscle fitness trends and trends in either body size or income inequality. But our research showed that countries with the largest declines in physical activity levels also had the largest declines in leg power and abdominal endurance. For example, physical activity levels and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1763764">abdominal endurance</a> have recently declined in kids from Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, both have recently increased in kids from Poland, Slovenia and Spain.</p>
<p>This suggests that kids’ muscle fitness might be improved by increasing their physical activity levels, like when achieving the U.S. government’s <a href="https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf">recommended physical activity guidelines</a>. For school-aged children and adolescents, they include doing 60 minutes or more a day of moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, along with muscle and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week.</p>
<p>This is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, because lockdowns appear to have dramatically reduced kids’ fitness levels. For instance, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.644235">Slovenian kids’ fitness levels dropped by 13%</a> to a 30-year low after only two months of self-isolation.</p>
<h2>Kids get diverse benefits from muscle fitness</h2>
<p>A growing amount of research suggests that kids of all ages can benefit from properly supervised resistance training. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-1011">A recent review of studies</a> on resistance training among children and adolescents found that it improves muscle fitness, body composition, sports performance, self-confidence and self-esteem. Building muscle fitness requires at least three sessions a week lasting more than 30 minutes and steady increases in weight.</p>
<p>Although there may be <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-should-children-and-adolescents-lift-weights-54888">fears among parents</a> that such activities are unsafe for growing children, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092952">research also shows</a> that participation in a properly supervised resistance training program does not stunt kids’ growth or damage developing growth plates.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A multi-ethnic group of elementary age children are playing tug-of-war with a rope at the park." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412753/original/file-20210722-19-18g211g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In 19 countries, kids’ grip strength has progressively improved since the 1960s, but other measures of muscle fitness have declined since 2000.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/playing-tug-of-war-at-the-park-royalty-free-image/517057340">FatCamera/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Improving muscle fitness makes it easier for any kid to move and lift things and play sports. Our research suggests that resistance training may especially benefit overweight and obese adolescents who may be unwilling or unable to perform aerobic activities. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092209">In a different study we published in 2014</a>, we found that six months of supervised resistance training made overweight and obese adolescent boys stronger and more confident about exercising.</p>
<h2>What can kids do to improve their muscle fitness?</h2>
<p>Muscles get bigger and stronger from doing weight-bearing or “resistance” physical activities. These are exercises that cause a muscle or a group of muscles to contract against an external resistance, such as a barbell, exercise band or one’s own body weight. </p>
<p>[<em>Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=100Ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Although often performed in a gym, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/strength-training/art-20047758">resistance training</a> can be performed anywhere using different activities and equipment. Jumping, climbing on playground equipment, push-ups, squats, lifting weights and yoga are all weight-bearing activities. </p>
<p>As their muscle fitness improves, kids can try increasing the time or difficulty of their favorite physical activity, or doing activities more often.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164295/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grant Tomkinson has received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Health and Medical Research Council related to children's fitness.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin J. Lang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Overall muscle fitness among children and teens hasn’t declined over the past several decades, but by some measures it’s not improving, either.Grant R. Tomkinson, Professor of Kinesiology, University of North DakotaJustin J. Lang, Adjunct Professor, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1446682020-08-26T23:43:41Z2020-08-26T23:43:41ZStrength training is as important as cardio - and you can do it from home during COVID-19<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353798/original/file-20200820-14-1vtwr55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C6000%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We often get bombarded with the message “regular physical activity is the key to good health and well-being”. To most of us, when we hear “physical activity”, we typically think of aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, and cycling.</p>
<p>But recent evidence suggests muscle-strengthening exercise is very beneficial to our health. In our study, <a href="https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-020-00271-w">published today</a>, we argue muscle-strengthening exercise deserves to be considered just as important as aerobic exercise.</p>
<p>And the good news is strength training can be done by anyone, anywhere — and you don’t need fancy equipment.</p>
<h2>Strength is just as important as cardio</h2>
<p>Muscle-strengthening exercise is also known as strength, weight or resistance training, or simply “lifting weights”. It includes the use of weight machines, exercise bands, hand-held weights, or our own body weight (such as push-ups, sit-ups or planking). It’s typically performed at fitness centres and gyms, but can also be done at home.</p>
<p>More than 30 years of clinical research has shown that muscle-strengthening exercise increases muscle <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/">mass</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-018-0872-x">strength</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6279907/?report=reader">bone mineral density</a>. It improves our body’s capacity to clear <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20433212/">sugar</a> and <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/6/341">fat</a> from the bloodstream, and improves our ability to perform <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29521871/">everyday activities</a> such as walking up stairs or getting in and out of a chair. It can also reduce symptoms of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29800984/">depression</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28819746/">anxiety</a>.</p>
<p>In our research, we reviewed the evidence from several large studies and found muscle-strengthening exercise is associated with a reduced risk of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31104484/">early death</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24453948/">diabetes</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5546793/">cardiovascular disease</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25530447/">obesity</a>. Importantly, these health benefits remained evident even after accounting for aerobic exercise and other factors such as age, sex, education, income, body mass index, depression and high blood pressure.</p>
<p>Compared with aerobic exercise like jogging, clinical studies show that muscle-strengthening exercise has greater effects on age-related diseases such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6351669/">sarcopenia</a> (muscle wasting), <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30006762/">cognitive decline</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21123213/">physical function</a>.</p>
<p>This is particularly significant considering we have an <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/demographics-of-older-australians/australia-s-changing-age-and-gender-profile">ageing population</a> in Australia. Declines in muscle <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732407/">mass</a> and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(18)30403-4/fulltext">cognitive function</a> are predicted to be among the key 21st-century <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732407/">health</a> challenges.</p>
<h2>Most of us don’t even lift — but we should</h2>
<p>While the health benefits of muscle-strengthening exercise are clear, the reality is most adults don’t do it, or don’t do it enough. Data from multiple countries show <a href="https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(18)32137-8/abstract">only</a> <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2266">10-30%</a> of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28230924/">adults</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32056889/">meet</a> the muscle-strengthening exercise guidelines of two or more days per week. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0153225">Australian</a> <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2736-3">adults</a> reported among the lowest levels of strength training in the world.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/17/5/article-p512.xml">data</a> from more than 1.6 million US adults show nearly twice as many do no muscle-strengthening exercise at all, compared with those who do no aerobic exercise.</p>
<iframe title="US adults who don't exercise" aria-label="chart" id="datawrapper-chart-GybUt" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/GybUt/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The reasons fewer people do strength training than aerobic exercise are complex. In part, it might be because muscle-strengthening exercise has only been included in guidelines for less than a decade, compared with almost 50 years of promoting aerobic exercise. Strength training therefore has been considered by some physical activity and public health scientists as the “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27769211/">forgotten</a>” or “<a href="https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(19)30954-5/pdf">neglected</a>” guideline. </p>
<p>Other factors that may contribute to fewer people doing strength training include the fact it:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>involves a basic understanding of specific terminology (sets and repetitions)</p></li>
<li><p>often needs access to equipment (resistance bands or barbells)</p></li>
<li><p>requires confidence to perform potentially challenging activities (squats, lunges and push-ups)</p></li>
<li><p>and risks the fear of judgement or falling foul of social norms (such as a fear of excessive muscle gain, or of getting injured).</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Here’s how to get started</h2>
<p>Unlike most aerobic exercise, strength training can be done at home. It can also be done without extensive equipment, using our own body weight. This makes it a great form of exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people are confined to their homes or otherwise restriced in where they can go.</p>
<p>If you are currently doing no muscle-strengthening exercise, getting started, even a little bit, will likely have immediate health benefits. <a href="https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/">Guidelines</a> recommend exercising all major muscle groups at least twice a week: legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms. This could include bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats or lunges, or using resistance bands or hand-held weights.</p>
<p>Here are some excellent free online resources that provide practical tips on how to start a muscle-strengthening exercise routine: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-tips-for-safe-and-effective-strength-training">8 tips for safe and effective strength training</a> (Harvard Medical School)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670#:%7E:text=Before%20beginning%20strength%20training%2C%20consider,about%2012%20to%2015%20repetitions.">Strength training: get stronger, leaner, healthier</a> (Mayo Clinic).</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An elderly lady lifting some small weights at home" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353801/original/file-20200820-18-yf44yn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Muscle-strengthening exercise can be performed by anyone, anywhere. And its health benefits rival, and often exceed, aerobic exercise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Governments need to step up</h2>
<p>Many people find aerobic exercise difficult, impossible or simply unpleasant. For these people, strength training provides a different way to exercise.</p>
<p>The evidence supporting the health benefits of muscle-strengthening exercise, coupled with its low participation levels, provides a compelling case to promote this type of exercise. But historically, physical activity promotion has generally focused on aerobic exercise.</p>
<p>If governments expect more people to do muscle-strengthening exercise, they need to provide support. One strategy may be to provide affordable access to community fitness centres, home-based equipment and fitness trainers. And media campaigns endorsing muscle-strengthening exercise could also be important for challenging negative stereotypes such as excessive muscle gain. It’s unlikely any of these strategies will be successful individually, so we’ll have to tackle the problem on a few different fronts.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144668/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our research suggests the health benefits of lifting weights rival, or even exceed, those of aerobic exercise. So why do so few of us do it?Jason Bennie, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southern QueenslandJane Shakespear-Druery, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, PhD Candidate, University of Southern QueenslandKatrien De Cocker, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1420882020-07-17T13:44:36Z2020-07-17T13:44:36ZHigh-intensity workouts may put regular gym goers at risk of rhabdomyolysis, a rare but dangerous condition<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348129/original/file-20200717-23-1ymk51n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C21%2C7066%2C4693&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Those most at risk are male, non-elite, regular exercisers with a body mass index of over 30.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/instructor-giving-encouragement-while-fit-strong-595715885">Daxiao Productions/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’re a gym regular, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of achey or sore muscles a day or two after overdoing it slightly during your workout. But while this is common – and normal – pushing your body to do more than it’s capable of could result in a dangerous condition called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4365849/">rhabdomyolysis</a>.</p>
<p>Known as “rhabdo” for short, it’s a potentially life-threatening condition caused by damage to muscle cells. Rhabdo was originally known as “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20783577/">crush syndrome</a>” and was first identified in victims of the London Blitz in the 1940s. Victims survived their crush injuries only to die several days later from kidney failure. Today, around 47% of rhabdomyolysis cases are in people who engage in extreme exercise that’s unfamiliar to them. This is known as “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8198305/">exertional rhabdomyolysis</a>”.</p>
<p>Rhabdomyolysis happens when muscle damage causes an excessive increase in internal calcium, causing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4365849/">muscle cells to die</a>. As the muscle cells die, they release proteins into the blood, including myoglobin (the protein that makes our muscles absorb oxygen) and creatine kinase (a protein involved in energy production). Myoglobin is usually filtered by the kidneys but, as it’s a large protein, excessive amounts can damage the kidneys, block urine production and cause life-threatening complications such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4365849/">kidney failure or compartment syndrome</a> (where swelling prevents normal blood supply to a tissue).</p>
<h2>What is it?</h2>
<p>The pain or tenderness we commonly experience a day or two after a big exercise session is known as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12617692/">delayed onset muscle soreness</a>, or “DOMS”. This is actually a very mild form of rhabdo. Small areas of damage in the muscle can cause pain, usually concentrated at the part of the muscle that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12617692/">moves when it contracts</a>.</p>
<p>But the condition becomes dangerous – and may require treatment – when the pain is severe and muscle proteins are released in the blood. Symptoms may include extreme pain even at rest (whereas DOMS pain is only when you move), muscle swelling, and brown urine. Rhabdo can be diagnosed through <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17909702/">measuring myoglobin in urine</a> or creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage) in the blood serum.</p>
<h2>Who does it happen to?</h2>
<p>Exertional rhabdomyolysis is more common in males and around 75% of cases are in people under 40 – although this may simply reflect those that take part in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26535325/">high intensity exercise training</a>. Rhabdomyolysis develops in around 30% of people on the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162117/">same day of exercise</a>, and 55% within 48 hours of exercise. However, a small minority develop the condition more than <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162117/">one or two weeks</a> after exercise. </p>
<p>It’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254615000605">unusual for elite athletes</a> to develop rhabdomyolysis. This is because their muscles are more refined, making it more difficult to damage them during workouts. Similarly, it’s unusual for untrained people to develop rhabdomyolysis – typically, because they <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371628/">can’t push their bodies hard enough</a> to severely damage muscle or deplete muscle cells of energy. </p>
<p>Those most at risk are male, non-elite, <a href="https://journals.lww.com/ebp/Citation/2018/12000/What_populations_are_at_most_risk_of.72.aspx">regular exercisers</a> with a body mass index of over 30 (who may be overweight or very muscular). The chance of developing rhabdomyolysis increases when <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28332112/">training multiple muscle groups</a>, in extreme temperatures, or when not hydrating properly. The risk is tripled with <a href="https://journals.lww.com/ebp/Citation/2018/12000/What_populations_are_at_most_risk_of.72.aspx">certain medicines</a>, including statins or antipsychotic medication. </p>
<h2>How common is it?</h2>
<p>Exertional rhabdomyolysis is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6396594/">relatively rare</a> with around <a href="https://health.mil/News/Articles/2020/04/01/Exertional-Rhabdomyolysis-Active-Component-MSMR-2020">40 cases per 100,000 people</a> a year. However, its prevalence has increased significantly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162117/">over the last 15 years</a>.</p>
<p>Two studies conducted <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27731596/">between 2010 and 2015</a> both showed a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27731597/">four-fold increase</a> in rhabdo, while a third study conducted between 2005 and 2015 showed a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162117/">twelve-fold increase</a>. This explosion of cases has been linked with the increased popularity of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/1012690215591793">high-intensity workouts</a>, such as CrossFit. </p>
<p>Rhabdo can happen as a result of endurance exercise, such as marathon running. However, most cases result from resistance exercise where there is greater likelihood of damaging muscle fibres – particularly through eccentric (muscle lengthening) contractions, such as lowering the weight during a biceps curl or the downward motion of a squat. Increased prevalence might also come from more awareness and diagnosis by medical practitioners following <a href="https://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/news/dana-linn-bailey-warns-followers-not-overtrain-following-rhabdo-scare/">high-profile cases</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="'Athletic man doing bicep curls'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348133/original/file-20200717-19-1vzx33z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Resistance exercises, like bicep curls, damage muscle fibres more.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/biceps-preacher-bench-arm-curl-workout-195845585">lunamarina/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Exertional rhabdomyolysis occurs in response to unaccustomed, usually extreme, physical exertion – either in the gym, or even from manual labour – that causes <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371628/">muscle cells to die</a>. Risk can be reduced by hydrating properly, increasing workout intensity and duration gradually (known as progressive overload), and ultimately, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27734446">listening to your body</a>.</p>
<h2>Will cases increase as gyms reopen?</h2>
<p>Most regular gym-goers haven’t had access to the equipment available at commercial gyms for the last four months or so. People who have kept up with exercising during lockdown have likely modified their normal routine given the circumstances. This could leave them more vulnerable to exertional rhabdomyolysis when returning to normal gym training. Indeed, we know that prolonged confinement results in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29134470/">loss of strength</a> even when continuing to exercise regularly, which could also increase risk.</p>
<p>Gym goers should be aware of the three main rhabdomyolysis symptoms: </p>
<ol>
<li>Extreme muscle pain </li>
<li>Muscle weakness</li>
<li>Brown urine following exercise. </li>
</ol>
<p>If exercisers have these symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately. </p>
<p>When returning to the gym or your local CrossFit box, don’t push too hard in those first few sessions back. Your body might find workouts difficult that were once routine.</p>
<p>Give your body time to familiarise itself with kit and exercises that were not part of your routine in lockdown, and <a href="https://www.nsca.com/contentassets/116c55d64e1343d2b264e05aaf158a91/basics_of_strength_and_conditioning_manual.pdf">increase training volume gradually</a>. Plan to get back your previous fitness in weeks not days and remember that despite your best efforts, your baseline fitness may not be what it was before lockdown.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142088/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Gaffney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by damage to muscle cells.Christopher Gaffney, Lecturer in Sports Science, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1024612018-10-09T10:43:06Z2018-10-09T10:43:06ZBreast cancer survivors, who lose muscle mass, can benefit from strength training, studies suggest<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239515/original/file-20181005-72106-10zlw1c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Breast cancer is more survivable than ever. Strength training is a key to helping women survive well. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/breast-cancer-awareness-message-against-fitness-327055655?src=tORRiFA42mOSnL_xJifiiA-1-18">wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Breast cancer research has resulted in treatment that has greatly improved survival rates. As a result, there are <a href="https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures-2014-2015.pdf">3.1 million breast cancer survivors</a> alive in the United States today. The <a href="https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/statistics/2015">five-year survival rate</a> is about 90 percent. This is great news.</p>
<p>But, survivors are still left to struggle with many <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/centers/breast_cancer_program/treatment_and_services/survivorship/side_effects.html">adverse side effects</a> from the disease and cancer treatments, which include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal suppression drugs that are used to suppress hormones that may have fueled the breast cancer.</p>
<p>Particularly worrisome side effects are accelerated losses in bone mineral density and muscle mass – with gains in fat mass. These changes can lead to <a href="https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-and-osteoporosis#1">osteoporosis and fractures</a>, as well as lower strength, decreases in physical function, and becoming overweight and obese, which can lead to <a href="https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2011/05000/Two_faces_of_drug_therapy_in_cancer__drug_related.7.aspx">poorer survival rates</a>. </p>
<p>These side effects can ultimately reduce overall quality of life and increase the risk for chronic disease and disability in breast cancer survivors.</p>
<p>Over the last 10 years, our laboratory has been evaluating the effects of exercise interventions, specifically resistance-type exercise on muscle mass, fat mass, bone mineral density, strength, physical function and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. </p>
<h2>Survivors, already tough, get tougher and stronger</h2>
<p>One of our first studies found that breast cancer survivors had lower <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4939569/">strength, upper-body bone mineral density and physical function</a> compared to women matched for age and weight who had not had cancer. Many of the breast cancer survivors had limited their activity after breast surgery, especially in the upper body, and were never advised to increase upper-body strength after the surgery site or sites had healed. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239516/original/file-20181005-72110-1hkr5t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A woman works with one of the researchers to increase strength. Such exercises have been shown to help women who have lost muscle mass and strength due to breast cancer treatment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-workout-rehabilitation-center-personal-643134019?src=l4TBgpeF89L1wlcsG4rhWA-1-37">Liderina/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In our three-month and six-month intervention studies using resistance machines for both the upper body and lower body, we found about a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4939569/">25 percent improvement</a> in both upper and lower body strength. Physical function and quality of life also improved, with no adverse effects on <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lymphedema/symptoms-causes/syc-20374682">lymphedema</a>, or swelling that can occur from damage to the lymph nodes, with either the low- or high-intensity <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00520-016-3374-0">resistance training</a>. Even the women who participated in high-intensity resistance training tolerated it well and experienced the added benefit of increasing muscle mass in both the upper and lower body after the three months of training. </p>
<p>In these two studies, women performed three or six months of resistance training on two nonconsecutive days each week. In the studies, the participants performed two or three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise. The exercises included chest press, biceps curl, triceps press down, overhead press, seated row, leg press, leg extension, leg curls, abdominal crunches and lower back hyperextensions. The amount of weight was increased as the women were able to achieve 10 to 12 repetitions on all sets. </p>
<p>Although we did not find increases in bone mineral density in our six-month training study, the women did not experience any decreases in these measures over the training period. <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/osteoed/faqs.php?faqID=34">Bone mineral density</a> has been shown to decrease by 1 to 2 percent each year after menopause, and the losses may be higher in the first few years of menopause in healthy women. Therefore, being able to maintain bone mineral density in breast cancer survivors is a positive outcome, especially in the upper body, which is more susceptible to losses due to cancer treatment and disuse.</p>
<p>There are a limited number of studies that have evaluated resistance training on bone mineral density in survivors. Of those studies, only <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23809000.2016.1191318">maintenance in bone mineral density</a> has been found. </p>
<p>In studies with healthy premenopausal women, women have been able to achieve an increase in bone mineral density with resistance training. The benefits are best when resistance training is combined with high-impact activities, such as jumping, hopping and plyometrics. Plyometrics are exercises that require one to jump down and jump up in one continuous movement. It involves repeated rapid stretching and contracting of the muscles.</p>
<p>In postmenopausal women and in some breast cancer survivors, most increases in bone mineral density are seen when <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23809000.2016.1191318">resistance training is combined</a> with medications that help to build bone. </p>
<h2>More benefits on horizon with greater choices of exercise</h2>
<p>In our third intervention study, we incorporated high-impact exercises that provided a variety of different loading patterns, since unusual loading patterns have been found to be more beneficial for improving bone mineral density than exercises that provide <a href="http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/%7Eucgatma/Anat3048/PAPERS%20etc/Ehrlich%20Lanyon.pdf">consistent strain</a>, like that of resistance training.</p>
<p>This study incorporated a six-month circuit of functional resistance training exercises that combined different high-impact exercises to provide women with unusual loading patterns. Exercises included lunges, squats, jumping jacks, burpees, push-ups, dumbell rows, mountain climbers, step-ups, biceps curls, triceps extensions, running in place, high knee lifts and planks. The women progressed to more high-impact versions of these exercises through the six months. The exercise sessions lasted 45 minutes and were completed twice a week. </p>
<p>In this intervention, we used a group exercise format, as many breast cancer survivors report that they prefer to exercise with one other person or in a group setting compared to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1523-5394.2002.104003.x">exercising alone</a>. </p>
<p>We compared this functional impact training program to a program of <a href="https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/yin">yin yoga</a>, or a slower-paced yoga in which postures are held for longer periods, that consisted of non-weight-bearing stretching and relaxation postures. We again evaluated the effects on body composition, bone mineral density, strength, physical function and quality of life over the six-month period. </p>
<p>We are currently analyzing the data for this project, but so far, the results look promising. Both the functional impact training and the yin yoga were effective in improving lower-body strength, physical function and quality of life. The functional impact training had the added benefit of improving upper-body strength, which is very important in the breast cancer population. Unfortunately, the functional impact training program was not effective in improving body composition or bone mineral density.</p>
<p>These findings along with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1482759/">previous research</a> highlight how important it is for health care providers to make sure that their patients get involved with some type of exercise that can improve body composition, strength, physical function and ultimately quality of life. There are a number of exercises and programs available for women to choose from. For women who may want to start off with yoga and then progress to more moderate to vigorous activity as they feel better, our studies provide evidence that benefits can be obtained safely from yin yoga and low intensity resistance training. </p>
<p>The studies also suggest that women can achieve greater benefits with higher-intensity resistance training and high-intensity functional training that incorporates intervals of strength and aerobic exercises.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102461/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lynn Panton's doctoral student Ashley Artese received funding from the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association for her dissertation work with breast cancer survivors. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Artese received funding from The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength Conditioning Association for her dissertation.</span></em></p>Breast cancer, once a death sentence, now has a survival rate of more than 90 percent. This means that millions of women suffer effects of treatment. Recent research shows ways to overcome them.Lynn Panton, Professor, Exercise Sciences, Florida State UniversityAshley Artese, Assistant Professor, exercise science and physiology, Roanoke CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/849042017-10-31T19:05:57Z2017-10-31T19:05:57ZStrength training can have unique health benefits, and it doesn’t have to happen in a gym<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190347/original/file-20171016-21963-46ionn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You don't need to hit the gym to reduce your chance of early death. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most of us probably know exercising is associated with a smaller risk of premature death, but a new study has found that doesn’t have to happen in a CrossFit box, a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/fitness/can-this-fitness-trend-inspire-the-people-who-hate-exercise-20171004-gyuhc0.html">ninja warrior studio</a>, or even a gym. Body weight-bearing exercises such as sit-ups and push-ups staved off death just as much as other forms of weight-bearing exercise. </p>
<p>Our study recruited just over 80,000 adults over 30 years living in England and Scotland between 1994 and 2008, who were followed up for an average of nine years. At the end of the followup period, we calculated their risk of death according to their strength-promoting exercise and how much they did. </p>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>Those who reported participation in any strength-promoting exercise (including gym workouts) averaged about 60 minutes a week and those who reported any own body weight exercises averaged 50 minutes a week. Participation in either gym workouts or own body weight exercises reduced the risk of early death by about 20%. Cancer-related deaths also decreased by 24-27%, but there was little evidence more was better. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-even-lift-why-lifting-weights-is-more-important-for-your-health-than-you-think-58635">Do you even lift? Why lifting weights is more important for your health than you think</a>
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<p>We also compared the risk of those who met the <a href="http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/">recommendation</a> of two sessions of strength-promoting exercise per week, with those who met the <a href="http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/">recommendation</a> of 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity such as walking (or 75 minutes more intense, such as running) per week.</p>
<p>Compared to being inactive, meeting either guideline was associated with a 16-18% reduction in risk of early death.</p>
<p>But the results on cancer death risk told us a very different story. Those who met only the strength-promoting guideline by doing body weight exercises had a 31% lower risk of death from cancer. Those who met only the aerobic exercise guideline had no reduction in risk of cancer death.</p>
<p>On the other hand, reducing the risk of death from heart disease was only associated with aerobic physical activity (21% reduction).</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190348/original/file-20171016-21938-3osois.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Gyms can be daunting for beginners.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<h2>Interpreting the results</h2>
<p>Given this research is observational, there’s always a chance the relationship between exercise and early death could be due to other causes. Perhaps the people who exercised more were also just generally healthier in other ways. </p>
<p>To reduce the possibility of alternative explanations, we adjusted our results for age, sex, health status, obesity, other lifestyle behaviours (smoking, alcohol, diet), education level, mental health, and participation in other physical activity such as domestic activities, walking and aerobic exercise. </p>
<p>People with chronic diseases are less likely to exercise, and more likely to die early. Therefore we excluded from the results all participants who had heart disease or cancer, as well as those who died in the first two years of the followup (because their death was most likely caused by something they had prior to the study commencing).</p>
<p>Other studies have examined the relationship between strength promoting exercise and early death. An American <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26921660">study</a> found lifting weights or doing callisthenics was associated with a 31% decrease in risk of death from any cause, which is consistent with our results. But contrary to our results, the same <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26921660">study</a> found no association with cancer death risk.</p>
<p>Another <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24958698">study</a> among cancer survivors showed lifting weights, but not aerobic activities, was associated with a 33% lower risk of death from any cause.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-can-change-our-body-shape-with-exercise-67642">How we can change our body shape with exercise</a>
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<h2>What it all means</h2>
<p>Our study suggests exercise that promotes muscular strength has unique health benefits and is at least as important for health as walking, cycling, and other aerobic activities.</p>
<p>We shouldn’t forget the most important principle for choosing an activity is being able to incorporate it into your routine and stick to it long term. The simplicity of body weight exercises makes them a very attractive option: they are inexpensive and require little skill and no equipment. Plus we now know they yield comparable benefits to similar gym-based activities. This is important given gyms can be daunting or unaffordable for many people. </p>
<p>So in addition to doing enough moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic activity, good old fashioned push-ups or chin-ups at home, in the park, in the yard, or even in the office could be an excellent option. For most people two to three sessions a week would be sufficient for general health. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=21694556">American College of Sports Medicine</a> recommends 2-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions of each strength promoting exercise with 2-3 minutes rest between sets. As with any physical activity, the most important principle here is a little is better than nothing, and gradually build up from little to enough.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84904/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emmanuel Stamatakis receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation. </span></em></p>A new study has found bodyweight exercises you can do at home are just as good as a gym workout.Emmanuel Stamatakis, Associate Professor; Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Health Behaviours, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/650582016-09-09T10:06:20Z2016-09-09T10:06:20ZBoxer Kell Brook moved up two weight categories for the fight of his life – here’s how we trained him<p>Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin (known as “GGG”) is the <a href="http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/gennady-golovkin-becomes-wbc-middleweight-champion/">undefeated middleweight champion of the world</a>. He’s considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world and has a <a href="http://boxrec.com/boxer/356831">knockout rate of 91%, stopping 32 of his 35 opponents</a>. It’s easy to see why the media call him <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/31316042">“the most dangerous man in world boxing”</a>. Not a single middleweight has come close to beating him.</p>
<p>Kell Brook is a welterweight (between 140lb/63.5kg and 147lb/66.7kg) champion, undefeated in 36 contests and a hugely talented boxer. He’s never fought in the middleweight category (between 154lb/69.85kg and 160lb/72.57kg). Yet on September 10, he will move up two weight classifications to face GGG. He’s never faced anyone like this before and he’s only had nine weeks to prepare. The odds are stacked against Team Brook. To get him ready for the event, my colleagues and I at Sheffield Hallam University’s <a href="https://www.shu.ac.uk/research/specialisms/centre-for-sport-and-exercise-science">Centre for Sport and Exercise Science</a> have put him through a training regime like no other. Here’s how we did it.</p>
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<p>The fight was announced on <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/kell-brook-vs-gennady-golovkin-8380757">July 8 2016</a> so we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare Kell for this contest and there was no room for error. Optimal preparation has been the only solution to this challenge.</p>
<p>We began by putting Kell through his paces in our boxing-specific test battery. This enabled us to gain an insight into his physiological strengths and weaknesses. We wanted to find out what was limiting his performance and how quickly we could cause his body to adapt to overcome these limits. </p>
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<p>This included using a treadmill test and gas analyser to assess his oxygen uptake and energy expenditure. We used something called a linear position transducer to determine how fast Kell can punch and how much punch-specific strength he has. Jump tests were used to assess how well he can produce vertical force and deal with the elastic demands of jumping. And we used a 3D body scanner that mapped the surface of his body to a resolution of 2mm so we could assess how his body shape was changing in response to training.</p>
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<p>Most boxers need to lose weight before a fight so that they fall just within the boundaries of their category but with the biggest mass possible. Although Kell needed to move up from his usual category, he still needed to lose weight – but much less than normal. His diet hasn’t been as low on energy so he’s been able to fuel for his training sessions. It means he’s more switched on, he can push himself harder, he can try things he’s never done before. He’s happy and content and that builds confidence.</p>
<p>But we still needed to bring his weight down. It’s not just a case of dropping a little bit from everywhere, we’ve had to target specific areas to retain and lose lean mass. When boxers move up weight classes they generally increase their upper body mass but this can slow them down. Punching force is determined by <a href="http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Abstract/2016/06000/Strength_and_Conditioning_for_Professional_Boxing_.9.aspx">force generation in the lower body</a> and torso, not the upper body, which primarily transmits force.</p>
<h2>Losing weight in all the right places</h2>
<p>It was key for us to limit lean tissue loss in the lower body and core, while losing mass from the arms. We did this by focusing on strength training using heavy weights for the lower body and core but using light and fast weights for the upper body. Kell’s boxing coach <a href="https://twitter.com/dominicingle">Dominic Ingle</a>, used a similar approach when Kell was in the early phases of his training, using padwork, speedballs and footwork drills to keep Kell fast at his new fighting weight. His nutrition was tailored by <a href="https://twitter.com/gregorymarriott">Greg Marriott</a> to match these demands, who importantly cooked Kell meals that he enjoyed, which also had a positive influence on Kell’s mood and, in turn, performance. </p>
<p>Eight weeks of training is not long enough to induce certain physiological adaptations that contribute to boxing performance such as structural changes to the cardiovascular system. But it is long enough for other changes, such as altering the chemical signals that control the number of energy plants or “mitochondria” in the body’s cells and other processes that control <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1995688">how the body uses oxygen</a> and promote recovery.</p>
<p>His strength training sessions were designed to maximise force production at high-speed by lifting heavy weights very quickly. Kell’s running training has been dominated by sprint interval training, designed to improve the way that his muscles utilise oxygen and deal with cellular acidosis. A typical session would involve just 30 seconds of maximal effort running with three minutes recovery, performed four times. </p>
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<p>This type of interval training is very intense. A single 30 second effort is accompanied by searing muscle pain, dizziness, nausea and very heavy breathing. But these sessions push Kell to his limits. He says he’s been through hell in this camp, and he would be right. </p>
<p>Movement training both in the boxing gym and before strength and conditioning training has helped him transmit more force from his feet up to his fists, while gliding around the ring. Most of this type of training is a hybrid of yoga, <a href="http://www.animalflow.com/">animal flow</a> and body weight exercises, designed to improve the range of motion around Kell’s hips and shoulders. </p>
<p>Kell’s physiological responses to training have gone according to plan and exceeded our expectations. We’ve seen improvements in his ability to rapidly produce force of up to 29%. Because of our focus on high-intensity training, he’s now finding running at faster speeds easier, even compared to when he weighed less. The effort from Kell, Dominic Ingle, Greg Marriott and everyone who has supported him at the <a href="https://twitter.com/IngleGym">Ingle Gym</a> has been astounding. Kell Brook is ready to do the unthinkable, and shock the world.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"768825097486565377"}"></div></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65058/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Ruddock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For his fight with Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin, Kell Brook had to gain weight in just the right places.Alan Ruddock, Performance Physiologist, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/548882016-02-29T02:49:55Z2016-02-29T02:49:55ZHealth Check: should children and adolescents lift weights?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/112266/original/image-20160222-25861-iil82k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A survey of parents found many weren't keen on their kids lifting weights, but the evidence says they should.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com.au</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all know exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and most will agree kids should be doing more of it. However, a <a href="http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-2328-7">recent study</a> found while parents are positive about their children engaging in aerobic activities (running, playing sports), they have much more negative views when it comes to strength exercises. </p>
<p>But these concerns are not backed up by the evidence.</p>
<p>People often see strength training as just lifting heavy weights in a gym, but strength training can be done in a wide variety of ways, including using just your body weight. Strength training can also incorporate medicine balls, sand bags, elastic resistance bands and weighted sleds.</p>
<h2>Myth 1: high risk of injury</h2>
<p>Until recent years, there was very little data on injuries associated with youth strength training. What did exist, however, were a handful of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1478294/?page=1">case reports</a> outlining serious injuries from misuse of weight training equipment, and a few <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6634267">small</a> studies reporting high injury rates in competitive youth weightlifting and powerlifting programs.</p>
<p>In 1990, the American Academy of Pediatrics cautiously <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/86/5/801.full.pdf">recommended</a> against participation in strength training prior to reaching physical maturity. This report was actually referring to weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding, which involve the use of maximal loads and highly technical lifting movements that had never been recommended for young people.</p>
<p>Regardless, the message that “weights are bad for young people” took hold and the public distrust of strength training lingered on. We now know that supervised and age-appropriate strength training is <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/1/56.short">a safe activity</a> for children and adolescents, and a good way to improve muscular fitness, body composition and psychological health.</p>
<p>In fact, appropriately conducted strength training programs have a much <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/1/56.short">lower risk</a> of injury than many popular youth sports like soccer, football or basketball – activities that parents happily enrol their children in year after year. Ironically, participation in strength training can actually <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20547668/">reduce the risk</a> of children being injured when they play sports.</p>
<h2>Myth 2: lifting weights stunts growth</h2>
<p>You’ve probably heard at some point that strength training can stunt growth in children. This claim is based on an enduring belief that strength training causes damage to “growth plates”. </p>
<p>Growth plates (or epiphyseal plates) are the cartilaginous areas of growing tissue at the ends of long bones such as the femur and radius. These plates turn into hardened bone when young people reach physical maturity, but are softer during development and are therefore more susceptible to damage. </p>
<p>While scary to consider, growth plate injuries are actually quite common, accounting for around 15 to 30% of all bone injuries in children. Most injuries resolve completely with treatment, but on rare occasions they can result in growth abnormalities. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/112268/original/image-20160222-25871-4gnt5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Strength training in youth won’t stunt growth, despite what many believe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>It’s not quite clear why strength training is considered more likely to damage growth plates than other physical activities, but this common misconception has withstood the test of time. At least part of the reason seems to be due to a misinterpretation of why elite athletes in sports like weightlifting and gymnastics are consistently short. </p>
<p>Long story short (pun intended), small athletes are better suited to these sports, in the same way that being tall is an advantage in basketball. Therefore, short athletes are more highly represented at the upper levels of competition, where we tend to notice them. This has nothing to do with high volumes of training or lifting heavy weights. While strength training often gets the blame, the truth is growth-plate injuries occur much more often during <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/40/9/749.full.pdf+html">organised sports</a>.</p>
<p>Extensive <a href="http://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2006/11000/Weight_Training_in_Youth_Growth,_Maturation,_and.5.aspx">research</a> on the safety of youth strength training programs has found no evidence to suggest they have adverse effects on growth, nor is there any evidence that strength training during the growing years impacts final adult height.</p>
<h2>Do children and teenagers need strength training?</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_young_people/en/">World Health Organisation</a>, <a href="http://intl-pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/121/4/835.full">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> and the Australian government all agree muscle-strengthening physical activities are important for the health and well-being of young people. In fact, <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#apa1317">government guidelines</a> explicitly recommend young people (aged five to 18 years) participate in muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week. </p>
<p>These recommendations are based on <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2013/09/20/bjsports-2013-092952.short">a large body of evidence</a> demonstrating the unique benefits of strength training. In a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24788950">review of prior research</a>, we found stronger kids have a healthier heart, lower body fat, stronger bones and higher self-esteem.</p>
<p>Importantly, the evidence seems to suggest the healthiest youngsters will be those who participate in a variety of activities, targeting not just the heart and lungs, but also the muscles, joints and bones. </p>
<p>So children and adolescents can and should “lift weights”, as long as it’s done properly. Experts recommend beginners start with body weight exercises and add weight only when they are competent at the movements. If using external weights, training should be supervised by a qualified instructor. Exercises should be matched to the age and experience level of the individual.</p>
<p>Maximal lifts before reaching physical maturity (usually around 16 years) are still not recommended. The focus during childhood and early adolescence should be on <a href="http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2014/05000/Development,_Test_Retest_Reliability,_and.25.aspx">developing movement skills</a> and building strength endurance (the ability for muscles to work repeatedly). This will provide the right foundation for improving maximal strength in later years, when individuals have the competence, confidence and experience to perform the lifts safely.</p>
<p>Simple and effective body weight exercises young people can <a href="http://greatist.com/fitness/50-bodyweight-exercises-you-can-do-anywhere">start with</a> include push-ups, squats, lunges, planks (holding body horizontal to the ground, with weight resting on your hands/forearms and toes to strengthen the core), bear crawls (crawling on hands and feet to work out the whole body), mountain climbers (in plank position, bring one knee at a time up to your chest to strengthen core) and the superman (lie flat on stomach with arms extended overhead and lift arms and legs off the floor to strengthen lower back).</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54888/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jordan Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A recent study found while parents are positive about their children engaging in aerobic activities (running, playing sports), they have much more negative views when it comes to strength exercises.Jordan Smith, Lecturer , University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.