Engaging in a year of heavy resistance training around the time of retirement can help preserve crucial leg strength for years to come, according to the follow-up results of a clinical trial published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. This is important because the loss of leg muscle strength is considered a strong predictor of death in older individuals.
As people age, their skeletal muscle mass and function naturally decline, which can eventually affect their mobility and independence. Resistance training, which involves using weights, body weight, or resistance bands, can help counteract this loss, but most research has only looked at its effects over relatively short periods of 6-9 months.
The researchers followed up with participants from the LIve active Successful Ageing (LISA) study, a large randomised controlled trial that showed strength can be maintained for 12 months after a year of heavy resistance training.
Differences in Leg Strength and Visceral Fat After 4 Years
After 4 years, 369 participants were available for assessment. On average, they were 71 years old and still active, with daily physical activity averaging nearly 10,000 steps. While there were no differences among the three groups in leg extensor power, handgrip strength, and lean leg mass, leg strength was still preserved at the same level in the heavy weights resistance training group but fell in the moderate intensity training and comparison groups.
Additionally, visceral fat levels remained the same in the heavy weights resistance training and moderate intensity exercise groups but increased in the comparison group.
The researchers acknowledge that the study participants were healthier and more active than average, despite 80% having at least one long-term condition, so they may not be representative of the general population.
“This study provides evidence that resistance training with heavy loads at retirement age can have long-term effects over several years. The results, therefore, provide means for practitioners and policy-makers to encourage older individuals to engage in heavy resistance training,” the researchers conclude.
Bonus: Resources for Staying Strong After Retirement
Looking to stay strong and healthy after retirement? Here are some additional resources to get you started:
- The National Institute on Aging: Exercise & Physical Activity https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-and-physical-activity
- American Council on Exercise: Strength Training for Beginners https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/experience/beginner/
- Mayo Clinic: How to Get Started with Strength Training https://www.verywellfit.com/complete-beginners-guide-to-strength-training-1229585
