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For Older Men
1. Seniors
can safely participate in a well-designed and carefully-supervised
program of strength exercise. There were no injuries among
the senior subjects in this study. Of course, all participants
should have their physician's approval before beginning an
exercise program.
2. Seniors
can improve their body composition. The seniors in this exercise
program reduced their percent fat by 2.0% after just two months
of training. This was similar to the body composition improvements
attained by the younger adults.
3. Seniors
can decrease their fat weight. Like the younger program participants,
the senior subjects lost more than four pounds of fat weight
during the eight week training period.
4. Seniors
can increase their lean (muscle) weight. The seniors in this
study added 2.4 pounds of lean weight after two months of
training. In the important area of muscle replacement, the
senior men and women did just as well as the young and middle-aged
adults.
5. Seniors
can reduce their resting blood pressure. Following eight weeks
of regular exercise, the senior subjects experienced a 3.7
mm Hg drop in their diastolic blood pressure and a 6.2 mm
Hg drop in their diastolic blood pressure. These resting blood
pressure decreases were greater than those of the younger
program participants.
6. Seniors
can develop physically active lifestyles, even after years
of sedentary behavior. Over 90 percent of the senior program
participants continued to exercise after the completion of
the study. They were highly satisfied with the results of
the eight-week exercise program and committed themselves to
keep up their training efforts.
In summary,
seniors have much to gain from regular strength training,
particularly as part of a supervised exercise program. The
senior men and women in this study reported looking, feeling
and functioning better, which is consistent with their recorded
improvements in bodyweight, body composition, and resting
blood pressure. It appears that an hour of exercise, two or
three days a week is one of the best investments seniors can
make for their health and fitness.
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