Strength training can ease aging's effects on women
Friday, October 24, 2008 - 19:14
in Health & Medicine
In a study of women of all ages, muscle strength was increased following a regular exercise program. Experts recommend older women use more resistance. Strength training -- it's not just for muscle-heads anymore. A study published last month in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that although older women gained muscle strength after an eight-week strength-training program, they showed little improvement in muscle power, or how much force is generated in a given amount of time. The latter is indicative of having fewer fast-twitch muscle fibers -- engaged during sprinting, kicking a ball or getting up and down from a chair.