Cardio may get all the attention, when it comes to the benefits of physical fitness. But a growing body of medical research shows strength training is equally important, and may even help seniors ward off age-related disability, preserve bone mass, and boost brainpower.
Research at Tufts University, and other institutions, finds weight training is not only safe for older adults, but carries significant benefits — beyond building muscle mass, the
Wall Street Journal reports.
“It’s way more dangerous to not be active as an older adult,” noted Miriam Nelson, professor of nutrition at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.
While it may take a healthy senior long to build muscle than a younger person, the benefits are as significant as those tied to aerobic exercise. Among them: gains in working memory, improved cognitive functions, as well as heart health.
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