Is There Strength in Rest for Seniors?

Senior women engaging in weight lifting.

Strength for seniors comes from lifting heavy weights in the gym, right?

Well, that is partially true, but another component of strength gains for seniors is rest.

Seniors, like all people, need adequate rest in order to function properly. This does not only mean getting enough z’s (although that’s important too) but ensuring proper rest time is achieved on a weekly basis, and even between exercise sets.

This article will explore the benefits of rest and how it’s a vital component in strength for seniors.

How Do Seniors Build Strength?

There are phases to gaining strength for seniors a consistent exercise routine. While aerobic exercise is important, in this article, we will focus on strength training when using the words “exercise” or “workout.”

In each phase listed below, there’s not necessarily specific time parameters, as it depends on each individual’s response to the type of workout they’re completing.

As a general rule, PTs say that it takes about 12 weeks to build strength, which is when one reaches Phase 3.

Phase 1: Learning

When initially starting a workout routine, the brain and the body need to learn the specific, correct movements in order to successfully complete the workout.

During this phase (within the first couple weeks of training) you will actually feel stronger, even though there will be no change in muscle size.⁶

Phase 2: Increased Strength in Individual Muscles

In the next phase, there’s an increase in strength of muscles without an actual change in the cross-sectional area of the muscle.

Researchers are not exactly sure what is happening in the body during this phase, but there are theories.

This change in strength may be due to increased firing of motor units. A motor unit is a nerve and the muscle fibers it innervates. It’s possible that these nerves are firing more efficiently following training.

It may also be that strength gains during this phase are a result of a change in the way the muscle fiber is oriented.⁶

Phase 3: Strength Gains Due to Increase Muscle Size

During this phase, it’s presumed that as the muscles are continued to be loaded, damage occurs at the tissue level, which results in new cells coming in and laying down more muscle tissue.

This is where muscle cross-section begins to increase.⁶

As you move into this third phase, it becomes more important to incorporate proper nutrition and rest in order to keep making strength gains.

Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is a topic that is extremely important to all adults, but particularly seniors, as there are a lot of myths out there about the need for sleep.

According to the Sleep Foundation, seniors need 7-8 hours of sleep. The Sleep Foundation notes that “while sleep needs change from infancy to adulthood, these changes usually plateau around age 60.” Meaning those 65 and older don’t need drastically less sleep than their younger counterparts.⁵

Older adults tend to have a harder time getting the recommended amount of sleep, which could be due to natural changes in the brain that impact circadian rhythm, medications, extensive napping during the day, lack of sunlight during the day, specific diagnoses, or a combination of those reasons.⁵

It’s important to discuss sleep disturbances/concerns with your doctor in order to get the rest needed in order to be able properly and safely function throughout the day.

Plus, if your body and mind are already tired, it will be even harder to add exercise to your daily routine, which we know is critical to maintaining independence.

Taking Rest Days During the Week

It was once presumed that it was required to take at least one rest day throughout the week.

The truth is, that may or may not be true, depending on the intensity of your workouts.

When it comes to resistance training and aerobic training, it’s a good idea to alternate those throughout the week.

Also, when it comes to weight training, working different muscle groups on different days will allow for better rest as well.

If your workouts are more intense or longer in duration or if you’re returning to exercise for the first time then taking a full rest day (or more) is very important.

Signs You Need to Rest

It’s very important to listen to your body and give it the rest it needs in order to allow for proper restoration of energy. This will enable you to improve your strength and overall function.

Additionally, if you don’t get adequate rest and try to push through your workouts, you risk injury. This could set you back for way longer than one rest day.

The following are signs you need to rest^7,8:

You’re very sore– It’s normal to experience some muscle soreness, but if you’re consistently so sore that you don’t feel like getting off the couch, because that would mean having to use your sore leg muscles, then you should take at least one day off.
You’re not sleeping well– Usually, exercising helps us to fall asleep. If you’re overworking though, that’s releasing stress chemicals into your body as well. Those stress chemicals may be keeping you awake and further inhibiting your recovery.
You’re not seeing gains- When the muscles are overworked and can’t properly heal, you will stop seeing gains in strength and function. Rest can help with this.
You’re Not in a Good Mood- Similar to the cause of not sleeping well, when we overexercise, the stress chemicals in our body are at a heightened state, which put us in a bad mood.
Your Workouts Feel Harder than Usual- Not giving your body proper recovery time means the muscles truly aren’t strong enough to complete your normal number of reps and sets.

Resting Between Sets

There’s a myth that exists in the strength world that rest is for the weak. And it’s this myth that makes it difficult for PTs to convince clients that they actually need that rest break!

Actually, rest is not only for the strong, but creates the strong!

In order for our muscles to actually gain strength and hypertrophy (the opposite of atrophy), the muscles need to be at an optimal length.

Optimal length allows for optimal pull from muscle to tendon to bone.

After we complete a set of exercises, our muscles are shortened following the exercise. Providing our muscles with some time to rest allows for length to be restored. Then another set can be completed.

How Long Should I Rest In Between Sets?

Woman taking a water break from exercising.

A general rule of thumb for strength training for seniors (which is classified as lifting 60-80% of 1RM) is resting 2-5 minutes.

A study done on older females who performed 3 sets of leg presses until fatigue found that resting 3 minutes between sets provided significantly improved load (volume x reps) and ability to complete repetitions, as well as time under tension, compared to only resting for 1 minute.¹

Why Does Anyone Need to Rest During Resistance Training?

It’s important to note that it’s not just older adults who need to rest between sets while lifting weights.

All individuals- both younger and older- need rest during a workout!

One of the main reasons is so that the muscles can have time to restore their energy supply in order to be able to build properly.

Glycogen is the primary source of energy for muscles, and it’s found right in the muscle itself.

When we lift our ten-pound hand weight eight times, the glycogen is being used up to complete this action.

The glycogen can be restored, but it takes about 2-3 minutes for this to occur.²

Does the Type of Resistance Training Matter for the Amount of Rest?

The short answer here is yes.

Different training regimens aim to accomplish different goals in terms of building muscle or strength.

For example, in high intensity interval training, you likely are doing shorter rest periods in order to increase heart rate, as well as performing weight training.

There’s also what’s called hypertrophy, strength, and endurance programs.

Hypertrophy programs focus on building muscle size, strength focuses on increasing the ability to lift more, and endurance, of course, focuses on endurance (prolonged muscle use).

If you look up these different training programs, each one will recommend a different rest interval.

That is because each program uses a different percentage of maximum repetition weight, or “one rep-max” (1RM) and corresponding repetition and set ranges.

As a general rule, the reps and rest are the following^3,4:

Strength: 85-95% 1RM for 2-6 reps, 3-5 sets
Hypertrophy: 67-80% 1RM for 8-12 reps, for 3-4 sets
Endurance: 65% or less 1RM for 15 or more reps, 2-3 sets

What Type of Resistance Program Should Seniors Do?

Here, at The Senior Centered PT, we really encourage strength training for seniors.

While endurance is important, the greater need for most older adults come from hypertrophy and strength programs.

Simply put, we want older adults to focus on higher weights, lower reps, and adding speed.

Adding speed helps with power, which is strength and speed together! That’s why you’ll notice some videos focus on doing “quick up, down slow” movements. Power is necessary to be able to perform daily tasks like getting on and off the toilet.

When it comes to our videos, we mostly create content that’s similar to hypertrophy programs. This is a rehab-based model, as many physical therapists are looking to restore a damaged muscle/tissue to its previous health and function.

Also, all of the programs above help seniors meet the recommended exercise guidelines of moderate-intensity resistance training every week, so there’s definitely benefit in all types of resistance training programs.

If you’re looking to do just one weight training program, find a physical therapist to help you design a strength program specifically for you. Or, use the guidelines above to adjust a program so it meets your strength needs.

Have the Strength to Live Life to the Fullest!

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