Completed Projects Strength Training

Strength Training for Older Adults

Project Description

Aging is associated with loss of bone density, skeletal muscle, and muscular strength, which further contributes to disabilities associated with arthritis. Therefore, it is important to promote the development of programs that encourage increasing muscle mass and strength among aging populations.

The CDC funded the Center for Physical Fitness at Tufts University to develop safe and effective strength-training materials to provide older adults with the opportunity to participate in strength training.

Key Objectives

• A new resource to promote training in older adults was developed entitled Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults. This program offers exercises based on scientific research, detailed instructions, safety cautions, log sheets, discussions on goal setting, eliminating barriers, and staying on track with the program. The Growing Stronger manual is available as an animated online version and as a downloadable or printable version [PDF–506K] . You can access the program materials on the following websites: CDC, Tufts.

Abstracts, Publications, Presentations

Seguin RA, Epping JN, Buchner DM, Bloch R, Nelson ME. Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults. Tufts University, 2002.

Principal Investigator

Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
Tufts Center for Physical Fitness
Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy
711 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

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