Strength training best for healthy weight loss in seniors

Senior citizens who are serious about losing weight and getting in shape should start by lifting weights. This is the finding from a new study showing older people who engaged in strength training while cutting back on calories were able to lose fat but even more importantly they still preserved their lean muscle mass. 

The 18 month study out of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, randomly assigned 249 people, average age of 67, to one of three different weight-loss groups.  All three groups reduced calories but the second and third groups also were asked to exercise four days a week.  The second group lifted weights while the third group did brisk walking. 

At the end of the study, results showed that the second and third groups that either lifted weights or walked had lost more fat than those that only reduced calories – 17 and 15 pounds, versus 10, respectively.

However it was the resistance group that maintained more of their muscle mass, losing only 1.7 pounds of lean mass compared with 3.5 pounds of muscle lost by those in the walking group and 2.2 pounds in the diet-only group.

The results of this study point to very pivotal information for older adults who want to attempt weight loss – make sure to maintain and preserve lean muscle mass.  Why is this important?  Lean muscle is important for protecting senior’s mobility and independence.  Even though excess pounds in older age can significantly contribute to frailty and disability, dieting alone without lifting weights can rob older adults of the muscle mass they need to be able to carry in groceries, lift heavy items, getting dressed or taking a bath.

Weight loss simply through dieting alone without weight lifting will result in losing fat mass but also vital muscle mass as well.  When muscle mass is lost, this mean a loss in strength along with a reduction in metabolism or the rate at which a person burns calories.  The best bet is to maintain and preserve muscle mass by eating a healthy diet with sufficient protein at each meal – between 25-30 grams – and using resistance training to avoid muscle depletion. 

Overall, the best combination for safe weight loss is incorporating both weight lifting and aerobics like brisk walking with a modest reduction in calories.  Seniors wanting to successfully lose weight and to keep the pounds off, needs to commit themselves to regular exercise and eating a healthy diet.