Unlike our lifespan, we have the ability to directly impact our healthspan – the years we spend healthy and active with a good quality of life.
They say all exercise can help you live longer, while getting stronger helps you live better. Strength training as we get older is not about building muscle for the sake of it – it’s a long-term investment that compounds by enabling you to stay active for longer.
As we approach middle age in our 40s and 50s, we may not feel that strength training is an urgent priority. But experts say that it’s our best opportunity to invest in our long-term health when there’s still time to make a big difference. And the biggest payoff is seeing it compound as we age.
Invest early for the biggest payoff
For many of us, muscle mass peaks before we understand how important it will become later in life.
From the age of 40, we lose between 3 to 8 percent of muscle mass every 10 years. The loss accelerates after 50 due to sarcopenia, the progressive, age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass.
Does that mean there’s no point in strength training after 50?
Not at all. Even if you haven’t done resistance training before, it’s never to late to start.
‘People who’ve trained for years are better protected, but even late starters can dramatically reduce their disease risk in a short time,’ Leigh Breen, an expert in skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism at Birmingham University told The Guardian.
‘Regular aerobic and resistance training cuts the risk of almost every noncommunicable disease – type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s.’
Jess Gorzelitz, an epidemiologist at the University of Iowa, told the BBC that focusing on back strength may be a good starting point as ‘your back can never be strong enough’ to improve posture, prevent back pain and improve spinal stability.
Stuart Phillips, a researcher in muscle physiology at McMaster University, Canada told the BBC that initially, older people should aim for two strength training sessions per week, lasting 20 to 30 minutes
‘It does not need to be dramatic. Small increments repeated over months are where the magic lives,’ he said.
‘Progress gradually. It’s better to be consistent than try to do too much.’
The benefits don’t stop even as we enter old age, Gorzelitz found in a 2022 study of adults aged over 70 who took part in regular weight training.
‘In particular as we age, we can see improvements in functionality, physical function and muscle mass,’ she said.
Phillips said that building extra muscle also enables older people to build up reserves that are needed as they get older.
‘When illness, injury, surgery or ageing arrives… you want more in the tank. I think of resistance training as a pension contribution for your future self,’ he said.
New Stronger for Life Membership at getback
Developed predominantly for people aged over 40, the Stronger for Life Membership program at getback South Melbourne focuses on improving strength, movement and balance around the spine and major joints including the knee, hip and shoulder.
Every new member undergoes a thorough assessment with a Physiotherapist before starting an exercise therapy program. The assessment allows your therapist to design a program that focuses on improving your strength and mobility where it’s most needed.
getback™ programs start gradually with appropriate loading based on your assessment results. Every session is supervised by a Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist, with a maximum of four patients in a group appointment. All programs are designed with a minimum of two exercise therapy sessions per week.
From rehab to resilience
Most importantly – if you have any current injuries or pain, our existing Physiotherapy, Osteopathy and Back Pain services will help you transition from rehabilitation to exercise therapy for long-term resilience.
