Brain and Brawn

The question of which is more important in getting through life–brains or brawn–has been around for a long time. What brings the greatest success–physical strength or intellect? The truth is that at different times one or the other may be more critical to overcome an obstacle. The ability to pivot between them is key. A recent study shows that there is an important connection between them for older adults.

An article that came out in early December, 2024, in Medical News Today describes the results a study at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution that will be formally presented in the near future connecting sarcopenia and dementia. Sarcopenia is a condition in which a person loses strength and/or muscle mass; this generally occurs as a result of inactivity and is seen a great deal in older adults.

Researchers looked at the temporalis muscle in a statistically significant group of older adults; this is the muscle that is responsible for closing the jaw. A small temporalis is associated with smaller overall muscle mass in the body, and a larger temporalis points to larger overall muscle mass; this makes it an easy indicator to assess whether a person has sarcopenia or not. The temporalis of each study participant was evaluated and it was found that those with smaller ones (ie., with lower muscle mass) were much more likely to develop dementia at the end of the study (around six years later).

This news is significant because it points to another way that dementia can be identified early, and even how the odds of it developing can be reduced. The greater the muscle mass, the lower the risk. How can muscle mass be increased? Two main factors are at play. First is exercise; resistance exercises (using weights) help to increase muscle mass. There is a misconception that older adults necessarily lose muscle mass, but it can be prevented or slowed with continued exercise. The second is consuming enough protein; protein is what helps to maintain and build muscle. Protein can be found in meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, but there are many plant-based options such as beans, nuts, and lentils.

People ask me why individuals use a personal trainer in their senior years. The motivation, in general, is different than younger folks; it is less about appearance or sports performance and more about maintaining general health and independence. We have known for a while that cardio exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping like running, cycling, dancing, etc.) is good for the brain; it gets the blood to circulate so that it brings rich nutrients to all the cells–including brain cells. Add to this now that resistance exercise is another brain healthy activity!

This study is just one more reason for us to ensure that we are getting both cardio and resistance exercise. It is not just good for our muscles, but for our brains too!

Aging Doesn’t Have to Mean Steep Physical Decline

As I myself age, I begin to notice how my body is changing; there are certain activities I cannot do as well as I used to. Working with an older population, I often hear the concerns of my clients about their current and future physcial fitness. Will they be able to walk (better) in the future? How will they be able to negotiate stairs? Will carrying bags of groceries into the house from the car be too much? How about picking up a grandchild or beloved pet?

A recent article in Fortune, touched on these concerns. The author, Dr. Zachary M. Gillen, is an expert in Exercise Physiology and is an assistant professor at Mississippi State University. Gillen suggests that one kind of exercise can make the biggest difference for older adults, allowing them to carry out these physical activities without being wiped out at the end of the day. The key: resistance (or weight) training.

This blog has touched on this idea many times in the past. One of the issues confronted by older adults is sarcopenia–loss of muscle mass. Sarcopenia can lead to other diseases such as Type-2 Diabetes. This happens as a natural part of the aging process, but a steep decline in muscle strength in not necessarily an inevitability. Muscle mass can be maintained and even increased throughout our lives.

Gillen states that the evidence shows that low muscle strength is a key factor in sarcopenia. The way to combat it is with the proper kinds of weight/resistance exercises. It is important to do these exercises properly and safely, which is why it is a good idea to consult a fitness professional. Sadly, only 13% of adults over the age of 50 do some kind of strength training at least twice weekly; across the fitness world, the recommendation for older adults is 2-3 times per week. Gillen suggests that 6-12 repetitions of each exercise working at 50-85% of one-repetition maximum; this means that if the maximum weight at which you can do an exercise is 20 lbs., you should aim to do 6-12 reps at 10-17 lbs. There should be a 2-3 minute rest between these sets (or longer if needed–especially at the beginning) with 24-48 hours of break between these workouts. Since we should all aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, the other days should focus on cardio activities.

Gillen ends the article by recommending that older adults take seriously the risks involved in starting a new exercise program. Those with little history of working out can do more harm than good. A fitness professional, like a personal trainer, can help us make sure we avoid steep physical decline–either because of inactivity or injury. If done properly, an exercise program at age 60 or even 90 can help us in the process of healthy aging.

Functional Aging Specialization

At the end of last week, I had the opportunity to attend the IDEA Fitness Conference East in Alexandria, VA. In particular, I went to participate in the pre-conference training to receive Functional Aging Specialist Certification presented by Cody Sipe, PhD.

I had never been to a Personal Trainers Conference before and was not sure what to expect. The Conference East is the smallest of their gatherings so it was a more intimate crowd. My workshop on Thursday had between 50 and 60 people–ranging in age from 20s to 60s. I was afraid I might be the oldest one there (at almost 56) and the one who is newest to the industry; luckily, neither was the case. I actually felt that I fit in…which is a good feeling.

The focus of the day was to prepare us to pass the certification exam to become Functional Aging Specialists. What is a Functional Aging Specialist? The approach, which seems somewhat intuitive (but really isn’t) is to train seniors (50+, but more likely 65+) not by simply having them do cardio and strength training that simply works different muscle groups. Instead, the approach is individualized to each client based on their specific needs and wants. Needs: assessment can reveal where there are deficits like difficulties with balance, sarcopenia, poor reactivity, etc. We train with a program that specifically addresses the deficits. Wants: listening to the client can reveal what they would like to be able to do–be able to complete a 5k run, participate in a travel adventure that will require hiking, being able to get up the stairs without pooping out, etc. Again, we can train using a program that will help them to reach those goals.

The next few weeks will be filled with studying so that I can pass the exam. I know that this can be a great niche for me in a sector of the fitness world that is growing at a very fast pace.

Additionally, research shows that many seniors do not want to train with a shredded 20-year-old; they want to work with mature trainers who understand themselves how our bodies change as we age. More on that topic later this week.