What it’s called, what it means, and the best way you can prevent and possibly even reverse it.

Most people are familiar with the condition Osteoporosis, also known as bone loss; its relation to aging and its incapacitating effects. There is a similar condition that’s equally debilitating, dealing with skeletal muscle loss and its relation to aging. However, fewer people know what this is called. The condition, Sarcopenia has its root in the Greek language. Sarcopenia means “poverty of the flesh”. To use the word poverty to describe skeletal muscle loss is a clear indication that this condition is not good for us, and here’s why.

As young adults, muscles are an object of vanity, because let’s face it, few things are as attractive to us as a lean body with well toned muscles, regardless of age. In actuality, muscles are far more than an object of vanity. Muscles have the largest influence on our body’s ability to produce heat, to burn calories and to strengthen our bones. Muscles help us to have good mobility, posture and balance. As we age we tend to lose this valuable resource, which can greatly impact our quality of life. Some of the signs of Sarcopenia that we might see in the elderly include a slow shuffling gait, the fear of falling, and a weakened/ frail appearance.

The good news is there is a way for many to prevent and possibly even reverse this condition. As a professional personal trainer for over 25 years, with a wide range of clientele…including many seniors, I can say this with absolute confidence because I have witnessed it firsthand countless times. And there’s even more good news; it’s not as hard to accomplish as you might think, if done correctly. That way is exercise in general, and resistance training in particular. Both the medical and fitness communities agree that good old fashioned weight training is, by far, the best means to address Sarcopenia. Since muscle loss is usually a precursor to bone loss, this important activity protects you from both conditions.

It’s never too late to start a weight training program. The key is to stick to the basics, to train within your limits and to be patient. Benefits can be achieved within the first 21 days by training as little as 15 minutes, 2 to 3 days per week. For those who’ve never weight trained before, an experienced personal trainer can be worth their weight in gold whether for a long or short term. Though its name is not widely known, Sarcopenia, or skeletal muscle loss, has a profoundly negative impact on our quality of life as we age. Fortunately with weight training, it doesn’t necessarily need to happen.

Be fit and fabulous at any age.  This concept is currently accepted by science, medicine and the general population. More and more, people are rebuffing the past notion of “growing old gracefully”.  One effective way to stay fit and fabulous at any age is through good old fashion weight training.
 
Weight training falls under the category of resistance training.  Other types of exercise such as calisthenics and various fitness machines fall under the same category.  When it comes to resistance training, hands down, weight training is still considered by many to be the “gold” standard of resistance type training.
 
The beauty about weight training is that we’re rarely too sick and never too old to participate in it.  Training loads, training principles and training intensity can be scaled up or down to accommodate anyone regardless of age, training experience or training goals.
 
Benefits from weight training are bountiful to say the least.  We’re still discovering new benefits from this activity.   The variation and degree of benefits from weight training is influenced primarily by the effort we put into our training programs.  Increased bone density, increased metabolism, increased muscle and tendon strength, increased flexibility are just a few benefits from weight training that can be obtained by women and men of all ages.
 
Weight training is good medicine.  This is another concept that is becoming increasingly popular.  The preventative medicine and post rehabilitative benefits from weight training such as decreased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improved body composition and post accident and injury recovery makes it instrumental in improving the quality of life for participants, mature adults and seniors in particular.
 
Weight training is the gold standard of resistance training that’s flexible enough to accommodate any training goal, offers scores of physical benefits and is considered good preventative medicine to any one regardless of sex or age.  With these accolades, it is easy to see why through weight training, we can be fit and fabulous at any age.

How young should a youth start a weight training program?  This is a valid question for any concerned parent or guardian.  Before addressing this topic, it must be stressed that even though fitness is becoming more science based, there are still and will continue to be gray areas in this field that will require a practical rather than a scientific approach.  This subject is also near and dear to me for good reason.  My own weight training journey started in 1971 at the tender age of 11.  With no more than a four-month break between training since that time.

Let’s get back to the initial question.  To address this issue we must consider certain factors.  These factors are physical development, character development, environment and present fitness level.

Physical Development

It’s no secret that all youths develop physically at different rates.  This applies to siblings as well as non-siblings.  There are youths that have the physical capabilities to engage in various levels of weight training very early in their development.  I’ve literally seen 11 year olds that could easily be mistaken for fourteen-year-olds.  Likewise, there are youths that are slightly behind the development curve and will need to wait until their bodies develop further.  Although this is generally the rule, the next paragraph will take a look at the exception.

Character Development

When we talk about character development, elements such as drive, focus and work ethics come to mind.  Like physical development, character development in youths also develop at different rates.  Character development, in quite a few cases, also serve as equalizers for youths that may not possess the physical development of their peers.  Youths more than physically able to engage in weight training may not have the drive or desire to do so.  Because of their character development, youths who may not appear physically capable of engaging in weight training are more than eager to participate.  This is a good thing because proper weight training can aid in a youth’s character as well as their physical development.

Environment

All environment mediums will have an impact on how soon a youth will engage in weight training.  However, none has as profound an impact as the sports environment. Youth sports at lower age levels has become very competitive.  As a result, youth athletes are likely to engage in progressive weight training at younger ages to gain the edge over their competitors.  Word of caution to parents and guardians wanting their kids on a weight training program to enhance athletic performance.  A youth athlete must be a willing participant of the weight training program.

Fitness Level

Despite the physical development, character development and environment, a 10 year old obese youth can’t wait until these factors are ideal.  They must participate in a fitness program and the sooner the better. The longer a youth remains obese the harder it is to overcome it.  The beauty about weight training is if done properly it can be scaled up or down to accommodate anyone.  Including youths at practically any age.  It also establishes good fitness habits that can carry over into adulthood.

This subject has its share of gray areas.  Hopefully, this article has shed light on some.