By Geoffrey Mackay, getback Clinical Director
If you’re over 40 and looking for the single most important exercise to prioritise, strength training takes the cake. While cardio is great for heart health and flexibility is key for mobility, re-activating or maintaining muscle strength is the foundation for staying active and injury-free as you age.
After 40, muscle loss (sarcopenia) starts to creep in, leading to weaker bones, slower metabolism, loss of function and increased risk of falls.
Strength training counteracts this by preserving lean muscle, improving bone density and keeping joints healthy. It also enhances balance, which reduces the risk of injury—because let’s face it, bouncing back from a tumble isn’t as easy as it was at 25.
Strength training also boosts metabolism (helping with weight management), enhances insulin sensitivity (reducing diabetes risk), and even improves mental health. Studies show it can reduce stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression.
The bottom line is: strength training is about staying functional and resilient for life. You’ll thank yourself in 10 years when you’re still playing golf, hiking or just getting up from a chair without creaking.
And the best part? With more sophisticated training devices and technology, you won’t need to spend hours in a sweaty gym.
Avoiding injury
While strength training is the best way to stay healthy after 40, it’s crucial to train smart. Poor technique or excessive load can lead to injuries.
For older people, Isoinertial Training is one of the safest and most effective methods to build strength while protecting joints, tendons and muscles.
Isoinertial Training – why it’s ideal for people over 40
Unlike static weights which provide a fixed resistance, Isoinertial Training adjusts resistance to support your exercise through the full range of movement. This allows for a more controlled and safer workout, reducing the risk of strain or overloading.
Joint health
Fixed weights and poorly-designed training equipment can cause sudden overload, leading to joint and tendon injuries. Isoinertial Training smooths out the resistance to reduce strain on tendons, which is particularly beneficial for ageing connective tissues.
Unlike traditional weights, isoinertial loading doesn’t apply excessive force to joints, making it ideal for people with arthritis or past injuries. At the same time it strengthens stabilising muscles around the joints which helps to reduce wear and tear.
Functional strength
The adaptive resistance in Isoinertial Training mimics real-life movements, improving balance, coordination and injury resilience for long-term mobility and independence.
Integrating Isoinertial Training can be a game changer for people over 40 looking to gain strength safely andensure they stay active for years to come.
How getback exercise devices use isoinertial loading
getback™ exercise devices use isoinertial loading to safely and effectively strengthen muscles supporting the spine, *hip, knee and shoulder. The devices adapt load to the user’s strength in real time to improve muscle strength and mobility without excessive strain on the joints.
The getback devices provide resistance throughout your full range of movement, both in the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases. This means the muscles remain engaged in a controlled, fluid motion, reducing the risk of sudden overload.
Targeted and personalised strengthening
The getback devices and technology isolate and strengthen specific stabilising muscles around the spine and major joints such as the hip, knee and shoulder.
The devices adjust to each user’s capability, ensuring gradual, safe progress without overloading the joints.
The isoinertial technology built into getback devices allows patients with back, hip, knee or shoulder pain or weakness to build strength safely, to improve everyday function or rehabilitate from joint replacement surgery.
*Knee, hip and shoulder exercise devices will be available soon at getback South Melbourne.
