Vanity and athletic performance aside, adults of all ages, especially older adults need to be involved in routine resistance training exercise. You may think the idea is ludicrous, but 1 out of 5 older adults are affected by Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is the degenerative loss of strength and muscle. Starting at the tender age of 30, adults will lose 6.5lbs of muscle tissue on average every 10 years. Why do our elders need to have muscle tissue? Muscle is life tissue, to sustain life we need this tissue. If we are losing this tissue we are losing life.

                Sarcopenia is associated with many undesirable conditions associated with aging such as diabetes, unwanted weight gain, and increased susceptibility to illness, falls, and related injuries.  Without significant muscle, our body’s metabolism slows, causing weight gain, our immune system is weakened, and we are more susceptible to falls and injuries. As lean body mass decreases, an unfavorable change in body composition , storing fat in places you never have before, the back of your arms, your belly, extra on the hips, under your chin, etc. These body composition changes also have severe metabolic repercussions. The drastic decline in muscle mass between the ages of 50 and 75 years, by approximately 25%, a substantial increase in body fat occurs.

 Studies show that an average adult can expect to gain approximately 1 pound of fat every year between the ages of 30 and 60, while losing a about a half pound of muscle per year, equaling about 15 pounds of muscle loss and a 30 pound fat gain! The dramatic gain of fat and loss of muscle have metabolic repercussions. Muscle tissue has a large influence on BMR, which for most, is the largest single contributor to daily energy expenditure, hence why muscle is important for maintenance of healthy weight.  Resistance exercise also promotes healthy glucose metabolism, so by maintaining muscle tissue you may help prevent the onset of type-II diabetes. To confirm these findings, data shows that older men and women generally have a slower BMR, compared to younger individuals. Preservation of muscle mass may reduce the decline in BMR and body fat accumulation. Unlike aerobic activity, lean body mass is an important determinant of BMR, therefore strategies to preserve lean body mass are a necessity.

If increased fat gain and risk of illness wasn’t enough to sell you on weight training, an estimated 45% of people aged 65 years or older are affected by Sarcopenia and can cost up to 18.5 billion dollars in direct healthcare expenditures attributed to Sarcopenia. Spare yourself some extra body fat, prevent illness and injury, and save a few million dollars to prevent sarcopenia with a specialized weight program for you.