Strength Training and Aging: Why You Should Start Now

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults over the age of 18 complete 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, along with two strength training sessions.

However, only 25-30% of U.S. citizens meet these guidelines each week.¹ The health benefits of exercise have been proven time and time again: reduced risk of heart disease, improved mood, increased bone density, increased lean mass, decreased fat mass, and more. Despite this, 70% of the U.S. population still chooses not to participate.

One often-overlooked factor is the natural effects of aging and how strength training can help slow them down. Here are some key facts about aging and the body:

• Tendons (connect bone to muscle): Increase in stiffness, greater risk of injury, and slower healing.²

• Bone mass: Peaks between ages 25-30 and then gradually declines at an average rate of ~1% per year, leading to frailty and osteoporosis.³

• Muscle mass: Begins declining at age 30 by 3-8% per decade. After age 50, this accelerates to 1-2% per year.⁴

• Muscular strength: Peaks between ages 20-35 and decreases at a rate of 1-2% per year after 35.⁵

Based on this, you likely fall into one of three groups:

1. You are under 35 and don’t strength train.

2. You are over 35 and don’t strength train.

3. You strength train at least twice a week.

If you're in group 3, keep at it.

For those in group 1, you may wonder if it's worth starting now since declines don’t happen until after 35. Here’s why you should start today:

• Build your reservoir now. Think of muscle and strength like money. If you have a billion dollars and lose 1%, you still have $990 million. The stronger and more muscular you are now, the better off you’ll be as you age.

• Form the habit early. Building the habit now makes it easier to maintain throughout your life.

For those in group 2, strength training still offers major benefits:

• You can regain lost muscle and strength. Research shows that progressive strength training effectively reduces muscle loss and improves strength as we age.⁶

• You can improve bone health. Strength training has a proven preventative effect against bone frailty and osteoporosis.⁷

Bottom line: It’s never too early or too late to start strength training.

If you are ready to take the next step, click the button below.

-Isaac

Start Training Today

Sources 

1. Percentage of US Adults 18 Years or Older Who Met the Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Guidelines, 2008-2016 Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). 

2. Sarbacher C.A., Halper J.T. (2019) Connective Tissue and Age-Related Diseases. In: Harris J., Korolchuk V. (eds) Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Ageing: Part II Clinical Science. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 91. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3681-2_11 

3. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/healthy-bones-at-every-age

4. Allen MD, Dalton BH, Gilmore KJ, et al. Neuroprotective effects of exercise on the aging human neuromuscular system. Exp Gerontol. 2021;152:111465. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2021.111465

5. E. Jeffrey Metter, Nicole Lynch, Robin Conwit, Rosemary Lindle, Jordan Tobin, Ben Hurley, Muscle Quality and Age: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Comparisons, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 54, Issue 5, May 1999, Pages B207–B218, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/54.5.B207

6. Mayer F, Scharhag-Rosenberger F, Carlsohn A, Cassel M, Müller S, Scharhag J. The intensity and effects of strength training in the elderly. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011;108(21):359-364. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2011.0359

7. Massini DA, Nedog FH, de Oliveira TP, et al. The Effect of Resistance Training on Bone Mineral Density in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(6):1129. Published 2022 Jun 17. doi:10.3390/healthcare10061129