Strength training can hold key to aging independently

A top concern for people 55 and older is their ability to live independently as they age.

A study of unintentional falls among adults 65 and older found that they were fatal at a rate of 78 per 100,000 incidents.

Along with promoting balance and functional strength to keep us safely independent in our older years, a routine strength training program can aid sleep quality.

Here are some training tips:

Improved balance

Balance is a skill and, if not trained, can gradually diminish. The body needs to be challenged by activities that place it in a slightly unstable environment, and strength training has been proven to improve balance.

Balance work can improve the vestibular system, a complex sensory system in the inner ear that plays a crucial role in maintaining balance, spatial orientation and coordinating movement. The vestibular system works by detecting head movements and position changes through specialized hair cells in the semicircular canals and otolith organs.

Increased cellphone usage, which promotes a downward head position, and extended periods of sitting can lead to poor posture habits. Balance work should include drills that improve and correct posture.

There are various balance tools such as wobble boards available on the market, but a good starting point is to practice standing on a single leg for an extended period. I recommend 30 seconds to one minute on each leg for two to three sets. This improves foot and lower leg stability along with pelvic strength.

For safety, perform in front of a mirror to get visual feedback and have something close by such as a chair to assist in case you lose your balance.

Functional strength

Daily tasks like carrying grocery bags into the house, picking things up from the floor and placing items into overhead cabinets can become challenging as we age. Exercises such as loaded carries and deadlifts go a long way in building and maintaining functional strength.

Learning to hinge at the hips, as opposed to bending and rounding the lower back, can enhance the ability to pick things up — a 40-pound bag of water softener salt, for example — without fear of injury.

Farmer carries, which require you to walk while carrying weights in both hands, help build muscular endurance and overall strength. The key is to avoid trying too much too fast.

Start with 25 percent of your body weight, split between two weights. (A male weighing 175 pounds should use 20 pounds in each hand.) Then walk for a set time; try 30 seconds to start.

Over time the goal is to increase the load, up to 75 percent of your body weight, and the duration.

Properly executed deadlifts using dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell strengthen the posterior kinetic chain (hamstrings, gluteal muscles and erector spinae) while training the hip hinge pattern. The objective of this exercise is to properly drive the hips back while maintaining a flat spine as you lift the load.

Better sleep

A common struggle for many people as they age is the inability to sleep. “Between 30 percent and 48 percent of seniors complain of sleepiness, while 12-20 percent have insomnia problems,” according to the authors of a study published in the journal BMJ Family Medicine and Community Health.

Strength training has been proven to improve sleep. Analysis of 25 studies from 1996 to 2021 found that it was the most effective form of exercise for improving sleep quality in adults 60 and older. Resistance training increased sleep duration by an average of 40 minutes compared with about 23 minutes for aerobic exercise in a study at Iowa State University.

Participants who did muscle-building exercises slept an average of 17 minutes longer than those in other groups over the course of a year.

Doug Sheppard is a certified personal trainer with 34 years of experience and the owner of J&D Fitness Personal Training Studio in Las Vegas.