Strength workouts help seniors function better

But more information is needed on the safety of progressive resistance training for frail seniors or those recovering from illness, the reviewers conclude.

People typically get weaker as they get older, which can lead to disability and increase their risk of falling, Drs. Chiung-ju Liu of Indiana University in Indianapolis and Nancy K. Latham of Boston University point out in The Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

Progressive resistance training, in which a person uses weights, elastic bands or exercise machines to strengthen their muscles by doing progressively tougher exercises, offers promise in helping people to maintain their strength as they age, Liu and Latham report.

However, the researchers say, more information is needed on how this kind of training effects people's functioning in the real world and whether it's safe for people with health problems or disability.

To investigate, they looked at 121 randomized controlled trials involving 6,700 people. In most studies, participants did high intensity exercises two or three times a week. All of the trials compared progressive strength training with no exercise, or with another type of exercise such as aerobic training.

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