Functional Outcomes of Stay Strong, Stay Healthy Program

Strength training can increase muscle mass and strength while improving bone density and reducing risk for osteoporosis and related fractures. Strength training can also lead to reduced risk for diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression, and obesity; and improves self-confidence, sleep and vitality. Research demonstrates that strength training is extremely effective in helping aging adults with chronic conditions prevent further onset of disease and, in many instances, actually reverse the disease process. In Stay Strong, Stay Healthy Program elderly subjects perform resistance exercise training (RET) twice every week. Past literature suggests that resistance training improved muscle activity, muscle strength, muscle mass, and bone mineral density and total body composition, and adiponectin, insulin sensitivity, fasting blood-glucose (BG), HbA1c1 (long-term marker of BG), blood pressure (BP), blood triglycerides (TGs) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in healthy and diabetic subjects. The purpose of this study is to measure the changes in the above discussed variables after 8-weeks of resistance exercises.