www.mditv.com — When you picture someone lifting weights, your mind is likely to conjure up a young person reaping the benefits of pumping iron. After you hear about some new research, you may just shift that image to include women enjoying strength training in their senior years. A study published in the latest Archives of Internal Medicine journal suggests doing resistance training regularly may help senior women improve their ability to make decisions, multitask, resolve conflicts and concentrate. Previous studies have focused on the mental effects of aerobic training, but many older women have conditions that limit their ability to do aerobic exercise. Sharon Johnson, an associate professor of Family and Community Health at Oregon State University, says finding alternative ways to reap the cognitive benefits of exercise is crucial.