Muscle strength decreases with age, but a certain type of resistance training can help older adults stay strong. In a review of 112 trials involving 6,700 people, researchers found that progressive strength training (increasing resistance as a person’s strength improves) with free weights, machines, or resistance bands is effective in combating muscle weakness when done two or three times a week. People who progressively lifted heavier weights were also better able to complete everyday tasks, like getting up from a chair or climbing stairs.
Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, published online July 8, 2009