Why it matters more with age
From middle age, muscle mass and strength tend to decline gradually, and more quickly without training. Strength training slows that decline and can reverse part of it: in one study, nursing-home residents aged around 90 increased their strength by an average of 174% in eight weeks of training (Fiatarone et al., 1990).
The payoff is practical: climbing stairs, carrying shopping, getting up from a low chair. From 65, the WHO also recommends activities that combine balance and strength on at least three days a week, because they help prevent falls.
How to start
- Check with your doctor first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure that is not under control, a recent operation, or any symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness during effort.
- Begin with two full-body sessions a week: a leg press or squat to a chair, a row, a chest press, a hip hinge, and something for balance.
- Use a weight you could lift 12 to 15 times and stop several reps short of that for the first weeks, while you learn the movements.
- Add weight or reps in small steps once a movement feels steady. Slow progress is still progress, and it is the kind that lasts.
Things to keep in mind
- Recovery can take a little longer, so two or three sessions a week usually beats more.
- Machines are a good start: they guide the movement and let you change the weight in small steps.
- Joint discomfort that eases as you warm up is common; sharp pain, or pain that worsens during a set, is a reason to stop and adapt the exercise.
- Protein matters too. Older muscles tend to respond best to a decent portion of protein at each meal.