Written by an engineer and on the starting strength website. I did skim through some of the scientific studies, but the article is very worthwhile. Don't just read the excerpt; hit the link.
The "being" part of the "well-being" concept has far-reaching negative consequences for the elderly. It is a fact that training – a prolonged, strenuous, planned effort in order to achieve a physical improvement over time – can help old people achieve physical independence and produce drastic cognitive improvements. The "being" concept – feeling good temporarily – is the opposite of the "training" concept, and the time incorrectly invested in it misses the opportunity to improve the quality of life.
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Both progressive resistance and aerobic training have a proven and measurable ability to slow the deterioration of the aging brain [3]. In seniors, progressive training can improve cognition considerably [4], and alleviate some of the mental disorders that are typical of this demographic, like major depressive disorder [5, 6].
For example, progressive resistance training was found effective in stopping and even reversing cognitive decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), through mechanisms that preserve brain tissue [7]. Seniors doing PRT showed a 0.01 millimeter yearly increase in their brain cortex thickness, while non-training control groups had a 0.05 average decrease over the same period [8] (the change was measured in the cingulate cortex that spreads along the cleavage between the two hemispheres and processes sensory, movement and emotional information).
And in seniors doing progressive aerobic training it was found that their hippocampus volume increased about 2% every year, while non-trainers hippocampus volume decreased 1.4%/year [9].
In general, properly-prescribed progressive physical training can be a major factor in facilitating cognitive improvement in seniors of all ages and in any cognitive situation [10].
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