Loss of balance, strength, and overall function associated with advancing age are often met with anxiety, fear, and depression. Many of my patients express these feelings to me. It is often assumed advancing age is the problem. Be careful of making that assumption! In most cases it is incorrect.

Although it’s true that loss of muscle strength is associated with advancing age, it’s also true that the ability to restore and improve strength does not diminish with age. In fact, the older and weaker a person is when they begin a strengthening program, the faster they improve. This seems hard to believe, but amazingly it’s true.

Losses in function occur more from inactivity than age. Sadly, most exercisers are young people. It seems our performance-oriented culture views exercise as a competitive venture rather than a way of maintaining health and function. Strengthening exercises carried out properly by avoiding pain and excess fatigue do wonders for balance and overall function.

If you are interested in an in-depth discussion of this topic, check out this great article titled “Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults” in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Volume 30, Number 6, June 1998. If you have trouble locating this article, please stop by my office and I will share a copy with you.