Effective muscle building without the risk of injury – more and more people are opting for EMS training in old age

More than ten million people in Germany are enrolled in a gym. This was determined by market researchers from TNS Infratest on behalf of several fitness associations. There are gyms for every taste and budget. Good advice, on the other hand, is rare. It’s different in “Körperformen” studios: this is because personal and confidential support is indispensable for individual, healthy and highly effective training. Older people particularly benefit from this.

Bonn, 2 January 2019 | Many people who want to improve their health and fitness first try training in a conventional gym but are often disappointed afterwards. The reason is usually too little support and insufficient help. This is also confirmed by Stiftung Warentest, whose investigators tested the studios of the largest fitness chains in 2017. Support is often only given at the start of the contract. Due to the lack of support, gym newcomers often drop out again in the first half of the year or stop going to the gym despite having a contract. “However, strength training is worth the effort. People of advanced age in particular should definitely do something to maintain their muscle mass,” report Sammy Pesenti and Marcel Kentenich, Managing Directors of the Bonn-based EMS provider.

Thanks to support: EMS training benefits older people

Regain quality of life. It is generally known that up to five percent of muscle mass is lost with each decade after the age of thirty and, above all, the muscle-controlling nerves die off. This decline accelerates from the age of 65 with visible consequences. You can see the considerable lack of strength in older people when they sit down on the bus, for example. This phenomenon of sarcopenia, translated as “lack of flesh”, takes place due to increased protein breakdown. In the process, the muscle fibres decrease in both size and number and are replaced by fat and connective tissue. In general, 60 to 70 year-olds are affected by this up to 13 percent, and among the over 80 year-olds it is even 50 percent. “Generally speaking, the muscles of older people are smaller, weaker and tire more quickly. However, a protein-rich diet and muscle building, for example with EMS training, can be a helpful antidote,” say the “Körperformen” Managing Directors. “Muscles are receptive to growth impulses throughout their lives,” emphasises Prof. Wolfgang Kemmler of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In principle, even 90-year-olds can and should still train with dumbbells. For those who no longer have the confidence to do this, the sports scientist advises EMS training: “The personal support makes EMS training safe and effective.”

More and more people are opting for EMS training in old age

EMS training at “Körperformen” can take a health-oriented or holistic approach, all the way to nutritional counselling, depending on the client’s wishes. The electrical muscle stimulation method has been used successfully in physiotherapy for years to build up muscles. This is because the deep muscle fibres in particular are stimulated within a short time and stronger and deeper muscle contractions occur. “It promotes both maximum strength and explosive strength,” adds Kemmler, who has discovered compelling muscle growth through EMS training in MRI scans. Another positive effect: all muscle groups can be trained simultaneously, but the impulses can also be individually regulated. Thus, the training effect is comparable to that of high-intensity interval training, which is highly praised and also saves time. “For older people in particular, EMS training is often much more pleasant because it doesn’t involve a high load on the joints,” Kemmler explains while encouraging people to do EMS training.

Exercise effectively with personal support and guaranteed correct execution

EMS training, unlike conventional gyms, also takes into account pre-existing conditions that are much more common in old age. Personal training protects against incorrect exercises, which often cause gradual damage and go unnoticed for a long time during regular strength training. This can be easily avoided through know-how. The professional trainers concentrate on a maximum of two people at a time at “Körperformen”. In this way, incorrectly performed exercises can be corrected immediately and injuries and gradual damage can be prevented from occurring in the first place. “In our studios, we see people of advanced age regaining mobility through EMS training all the time. Muscles mean quality of life – but that generally applies to every age,” say the two “Körperformen” Managing Directors.

About Körperformen

The EMS provider Körperformen, based in Bonn, has been supporting its customers and licensees with high quality standards as a reliable and promising partner since 2011. With more than 200 branches, Germany’s second-largest EMS chain is represented throughout the country. Other Körperformen studios outside Germany are located in Austria – mainly in large cities such as Vienna or Innsbruck – as well as in Switzerland and Italy.