Photography by Renée Comet Illustrations by Ulla Puggaard
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Strength Training for Americans 70+
By Betsy Stephens, March-April 2003
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It's true: Adding a little muscle to your body will help you slim down—and it's easy to do, even if you haven't exercised in years. Researchers at Tufts University found that people in their 70s and 80s who did 30 minutes of moderate strength-training exercises a week each lost four pounds of fat and built three pounds of muscle in three months, even though they added an average of 370 calories to their daily diet. That's because building even a small amount of muscle allows you to burn more calories around the clock, says Wayne L. Westcott, fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. At rest, one pound of muscle burns about 35 calories per day, which can burn off more than three and a half pounds of fat in one year—and that's just sitting still. (By comparison, a pound of fat burns only two calories a day.) And during light exercise, that same pound of muscle can burn triple the amount of calories.
Westcott designed this muscle-building workout especially for AARP The Magazine. It takes only about 20 minutes, but three weekly sessions can add at least a pound of fat-burning muscle to your frame in just two months. Before you start, get your doctor's approval. Then, all you need is an elastic "resistance band," which sells for less than $10 in sporting goods stores. You needn't grunt and strain through these three moves; simply adjust the length of the band so it provides just enough resistance to make your muscles feel moderately fatigued after doing 15 repetitions. Gradually work up to doing three sets of each move.
Knee Bends
[Strengthens the muscles in your legs and buttocks]
With your back to a chair, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms down by your sides. Keeping your upper body upright, bend your knees to slowly lower yourself into the chair. Reverse the motion returning to a standing position.
Seated Sit-Ups
[Strengthens your stomach muscles]
Sit in a high-backed chair, with the resistance band looped around the back of the chair and the ends draped over your shoulders. Cross your arms over your chest, and grip the ends of the band, as shown (A). Now, slowly bend at the waist, using your stomach muscles to bring your shoulders and upper back away from the chair about five inches. Keep your lower back flush against the back of the chair at all times (B). Slowly return to the upright position (A). After doing 10 to 15 repetitions this way, take a rest, and then repeat the move, but add a twist. Rotate your upper body as you perform the sit-up, moving your right shoulder toward your left knee. Return to the upright position, and repeat. You should complete 10 to 15 on each side.
Seated Pushups
[Develops the muscles in your arms]
Loop a resistance band over the back of a high-backed chair. Sitting in the chair, hold on to the ends of the resistance band with your elbows bent and hands just to the outside of each shoulder (A). Slowly push your hands forward, straightening your elbows to bring your arms parallel to the floor (B). Bend your elbows to return to the starting position, and repeat.
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