Why Strength Training Is Essential as You Age

Maintaining strength as we age is about more than physical appearance; it’s a crucial factor in preserving health, mobility, and quality of life. Here are five key insights backed by science that highlight why strength training is important as we get older.

1. Combatting Muscle Mass Decline

Around age 30, most people begin experiencing sarcopenia, or the age-related loss of muscle mass, which accelerates significantly after 60. A study by Cruz-Jentoft et al. (2019), has shown that maintaining muscle strength through resistance training can help slow this decline, preserving mobility and independence well into older age.

2. Supporting Bone Health

Strength training doesn’t just build muscle—it also supports bone density, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Studies like Shaw et al. (2014) have demonstrated that resistance exercises, especially those targeting weight-bearing bones, can help older adults maintain strong bones, lowering the risk of fractures.

3. Boosting Metabolic Health

Maintaining metabolic health is essential, especially as metabolic function can decrease with age. Strength training has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control, helping to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Gordon et al. (2009) found that consistent resistance training positively impacts metabolic health, making it an effective way to manage blood sugar levels.

4. Enhancing Mental Health

The mental benefits of strength training are substantial. Engaging in regular resistance exercises is linked to improved mood and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. Basso and Suzuki (2017) noted that physical activity increases neurotransmitters like endorphins, promoting mental clarity and reducing stress.

5. Maintaining Functional Independence

Strength is essential for day-to-day activities. Older adults who engage in strength training are more likely to maintain functional independence. This translates to greater ease with activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, and moving around without assistance—core elements of living independently and enjoying life fully.

Conclusion

Strength training is a foundational element in healthy aging, with benefits spanning physical, metabolic, and mental health. Integrating it into your routine, regardless of age, is a powerful way to invest in a stronger, more capable future.

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Sources

Basso, J. C., & Suzuki, W. A. (2017). The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. Brain Plasticity, 2(2), 127. https://doi.org/10.3233/BPL-160040    

Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Bahat, G., Bauer, J., Boirie, Y., Bruyère, O., Cederholm, T., Cooper, C., Landi, F., Rolland, Y., Sayer, A. A., Schneider, S. M., Sieber, C. C., Topinkova, E., Vandewoude, M., Visser, M., Zamboni, M., & Writing Group for the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2), and the Extended Group for EWGSOP2. (2019). Sarcopenia: Revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing, 48(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169

Gordon, B. A., Benson, A. C., Bird, S. R., & Fraser, S. F. (2009). Resistance training improves metabolic health in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 83(2), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2008.11.024

Shaw, N. (2014). Optimising bone health in adolescents and young adults. Endocrine Abstracts, 34. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.34.CMW3.3

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