Aging, Strength Gain and EMS

Aging, Strength Gain and EMS

 by Andrea Rodgers

It is widely known that as you age, your muscle mass starts to decrease. This should be your cue to increase your physical activity, but sometimes it doesn’t feel quite right to do so when your joints start to hurt more. Studies show that most elderly people, the ones who need strength training the most, are actually more  unwilling to train because of physical limitations, motivation or comfort level. Electric Muscle Stimulation is the perfect solution!

In a study of 30 post-menopausal women (65 and older), EMS was used for 14 weeks, 20 minutes training sessions. In these women, strength and power increased and body fat was reduced. All of these factors make activities of daily living easier and much more enjoyable as you age.

Another study was done in 28 males between the ages of 65-75 years old, 14 weeks of EMS training, 20 minutes long. The results were:

-Muscle mass increased

-Body fat reduced

-Waist circumference reduced

-Strength increased

-Power increased

-Aerobic capacity increased

Electric Muscle Stimulation is so effective for many reasons. There is no impact on your joints as in conventional weight training yet you still have the benefits of strengthening the joints and bones. EMS contracts the muscle at the belly and innervates 30% more muscle fibers than during regular strength training. And of course, it is only 20 minutes long!

The favorable changes in body composition in populations over 60 is profound. We are excited to open our doors to helping this age group grow stronger and live more comfortably as they age.

Research:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23949160