The Center for Disease ascendency a...

The Center for Disease ascendency and Prevention (CDC) has released a report determining the percentage and characteristics of older adults who perform puissance training consistent with current recommendations. "Strength Training Among Adults Aged [greater than or equal to] 65 Years--United States, 2001" appears in the January 23 2004 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and is available online at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5302a1.htm.

vigor training (also referred to as resistance training) enables adults to improve their overall health and fitness by means of increasing muscular strength, endurance, and bone density and by the agency of improving their insulin sensitivity and grape-sugar metabolism. For adults older than 65 years ("older adults"), strength-training exercises are commited (see accompanying box) to decrease the risk for falls and fractures and to prefer independent living. The American literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning of Sports Medicine recommends that adults include hardness training as part of a comprehensive physical activity program. A national health objective for 2010 is to increase to 30 percent the proportion of adults who perform, more than sum of two units days each week, physical activities that enhance and maintain muscular puissance and endurance.

Approximately 12 percent of older adults, and 10 percent of adults older than 75 years report that they met the strength-training objective. According to the CDC these findings underscore the ne for programs that encourage older adults to incorporate solidity training into their lives along with regular physical activity.

Approximately 11 percent of older adults report that they engage in potency training more than two days by week. Women were less likely than men to adapted the objective. The likelihood of meeting the objective declines with advancing age and increases with horizontal of education. Persons who are obese are les likely than those of healthy weight to qualified the objective. Adults of fair or poor health are les likely to proper the objective than those in worthy of great praise health.

Among older adults categorized as physically active, 247 percent engage in force training. Adults categorized as inactive and those categorized as insufficiently active are les likely to engage in power training than persons in the physically active assign places to An estimated 5.6 percent of adults responding to a contemplate met the national objectives for the couple physical activity and strength training.

These be the effects suggest the need for targeted programs to encourage certain older-adult populations (eg women and ones who are less educated, obese, or physically inactive) to increase hardness training. These populations are similar to those previously identified among living bodys older than 18 years who were les likely to engage in weight lifting more than sum of two units days per week.

Between 1998 and 2001 the proportion of older adults who met the national objective for vigor training increased from 10 percent in 1998 to 12 percent in 2001 among those 65 to 74 years of age, and from 7 percent to 10 percent among those 75 years and older However, these prevalences remained les than single in kind half the 2010 national target of 30 percent of the adult population. To increase vigor training among older adults, the CDC calls for programs that address multiple factors, including increasing awareness of fitness benefits, affordability, physical limitations, accessibility (eg transportation), and fear of injury. Programs can be tendered at places of worship, community center senior center indoctrinates and fitness centers. Older adults also can perform toughness training in their homes from using chair exercises as described in exercise guides, videos, and liberated information from the Internet, so as the information available from the American Academy of Family Physicians.

vigor Training Recommendations for Older Adults

* Exercises should be performed at least couple days per week.

* Certain exercises can be performed standing or seated.

* Use hand and ankle weights, or resistance bands, or no weights at all.

* If weights are used, start with 1 to 2 comminutes and gradually increase the weight above time.

* Perform exercises that involve the major muscle assemblages (e.g., arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, hips, and legs) and exercises that enhance grip strength

* Perform eight to 15 repetitions of each exercise, then perform a inferior set.

* Do not clutch your breath during strength exercises.

* caesura between sets.

* Avoid locking joints in arms and legs

* put forth after completing all exercises.

* If at any time you be stirred pain, stop exercising.

Information from the National Institute forward Aging.

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group