Ashlee Williams, MD (Host): When we think of slowing the aging process, strength training might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but did you know that building muscle is one of the most effective ways to keep your body and mind feeling younger? From improving bone density and balance to enhancing mental clarity and metabolic health, strength training is the best antidote to a physical and cognitive decline.

 Welcome to the Healthier You Podcast. I'm Dr. Ashlee Williams. And today I'm talking with Dr. Katie Ryder, a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician here at Kaiser Permanente, to explain what you can do to start benefiting from resistance training, no matter your age or fitness level. Dr. Ryder, thanks so much for being here.

Katie Ryder, MD: Thank you for having me, Dr. Williams.

Host: I'm so excited to have you. You're one of my favorites. When we talk about strength training, and resistance training, what types of exercises are included? Do you have to lift weights?

Katie Ryder, MD: So, lifting weights is one form of strength training, but if this isn't your preference, there are many options. And that includes resistance bands. Resistance bands help develop strength, range of motion, and coordination. And they have the bonus of being lightweight and easy to travel with. You can also do calisthenics, which are exercises that rely on your own body weight for resistance.

And these include exercises like planks, push ups, squats, and lunges. And then there are other forms of strength training like yoga, Pilates, tai chi which incorporate balance as well. And you can do these alone or in a group; online, at a gym, or at a park. All of these exercises will build muscle mass, they'll strengthen muscles, they'll increase joint mobility and improve balance. And improving balance is one of the most important things we can do as we age because we want to reduce the risk of falling.

Host: That's true. So most people want to see the benefits very quickly. When will you start to see the benefits of strength training?

Katie Ryder, MD: I think that's one of the best things about strength training is that you will start to see benefits pretty quickly. So if you start to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine; you'll start to see improved metabolism because by building muscle strength, we increase how much we burn calories even at rest.

We will see improved insulin resistance. So insulin resistance is the metabolic abnormality that contributes to obesity and diabetes. And strength training has been shown to decrease that insulin resistance. We also see other benefits like improved mood, energy levels, sleep, and cognition. Exercise is one of those underrated and underappreciated and proven mood boosters.

So even if you didn't feel like working out in the moment, once you finish, you're glad you did and you feel better that day. The other thing that strength training can do through those metabolic benefits, is improve body composition. And many people like how their body looks when they have more toned muscles.

Host: Yeah, I think that's very true. Can you talk about the long term benefits? How does strength training actually slow aging?

Katie Ryder, MD: Physical activity and strength training in particular has anti aging effects because of how the body reacts to exercise and how it changes at the cellular level. So strength training can improve the function of so many of our body's systems; our heart, our brain, our bones, muscles and mood. So one really amazing study that was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that weekly strength training reduced the risk of all cause death in women by 19 percent and in men by 11 percent and then improved cardiovascular related death in women by 30%, which is hard to find something that beneficial in women.

And again, lowered cardiovascular related death in men by 11%. One of the ways that strength training does this is it lowers resting blood pressure, it lowers cholesterol, and that reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. When it comes to our bones, strength training reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, and this is especially true for women who are postmenopausal, and anyone over the age of 75.

We've also had studies showing us benefits in specific joint health. So knee health. People who had, who participated in strength training, were less likely to have symptoms from knee arthritis than those who did not do strength training. We've also had studies show us folks experiencing less hip pain and less shoulder pain when they incorporate strength training.

In older age, one of the most significant factors for quality of life is frailty. Being frail makes us dependent on other people, even for basic tasks and activities of daily living. And strength training, which leads to improved mobility, balance, and endurance; helps reduce that frailty and help us remain independent.

Host: Sounds like strength training is just overall a great thing to do. And a lot of people look to strength training for help with weight loss. Can you speak to that?

Katie Ryder, MD: Sure, sure. I tell my patients a lot that what we put in is probably the most important thing with our weight, so diet is really important, but strength training in particular can really help augment the weight loss journey. We talked about that earlier on, that when you build muscle mass and you have stronger muscles, you're going to burn more calories even at rest.

So I often advise when people are losing weight and they hit a plateau, where, you know, the weight loss, they're still doing the same thing, but the weight loss stops, the weight stops going down; add in strength training to give your metabolism that boost.

Host: Right. So I always tell my patients, I think the hardest thing is getting started. Right. Do you have any advice for what you tell your patients on how to get started?

Katie Ryder, MD: I totally agree. And this is another kind of really nice benefit of strength training, which is that it doesn't have to take a huge time investment. You don't need to go to a gym and like pump iron for hours, right? You can get a great workout with just a yoga mat or a few simple tools, in 10 or 15 minutes right at home. So when we're starting out, I generally tell people aim for 10 minutes, two to three times a week and get started there. You will see improvement. You'll see you're able to do more pretty quickly. But we do want to start slowly. This is because muscles, joints, tendons, they need time to adjust and build strength with any new exercise.

So if we get a little overeager, we get excited to get started and we kind of overdo it, do too much too soon, we can get waylaid by injury. So we want to start slowly. If you're looking for the best equipment to start a strength training routine I would consider a yoga mat, resistance bands, balance ball, and start with light weights.

And none of this needs to be expensive. It's generally available at a variety of stores or online. Resistance bands and weights, of course, come in different strengths. So you want to start light, and make sure that you've mastered with the lighter weights or the lighter resistance before you move on to the heavier stuff. Work your way up.

And, the other thing I just want to add is that it's never too late to start. So you can make a difference in your metabolism, in your strength, balance, endurance, at any age, if you just get started.

Host: Yeah. And there's just so much information out on the internet, on YouTube, on kp.org with information on how to do strength training.

Katie Ryder, MD: Absolutely.

Host: And sometimes you can just use body weight, like starting with few pushups. So yeah, that's great. I always tell myself in the morning, like the hardest thing is just getting out of bed to get started. And then once you do it, you feel great, but I do think the hardest part is getting started. Thanks for this great information, Dr. Ryder. We learned a lot about how strength training can keep us mobile and healthy as we age.

Here are the top takeaways. 1. Strength training doesn't have to mean weightlifting. Any exercise that builds and strengthens muscles, increases mobility, and improves balance counts. This can include yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and bodyweight exercises. 2. Strength training has immediate benefits, including improved metabolism, improved mood, energy levels, better insulin resistance, and more toned muscles.

3. Over time, strength training can improve heart health, cognitive function, stronger bones, lower risk of arthritis, and even a reduced risk of falls, to help us continue living independently. 4. Strength training builds stronger muscles, and stronger muscles burn more calories, even at rest, so it can be a helpful weight loss tool.

And 5. To get started, aim to do 10 minute strength training workouts 2 to 3 times a week. You can try resistance bands or dumbbells, and start with light resistance and gradually increase. For more information about lifestyle medicine from our experts, visit kp.org/doctor and listen to more episodes of Healthier You wherever you get your podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with others who may find it helpful. Thank you. And from all of us at Kaiser Permanente, be well.