The Importance of Strength Training at Every Age

For a long time, strength training carried a narrow reputation — something for bodybuilders and young athletes. The research tells a very different story. Lifting weights, in your twenties or your nineties, is one of the most powerful things you can do for how long you live and how well you live along the way.

It's linked to a longer life

Two large reviews published in 2022 put numbers to this. A systematic review and meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that muscle-strengthening activity was associated with roughly 10–17% lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes — and that combining strength work with aerobic activity was linked to about 40% lower all-cause mortality.¹ A separate review in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reached the same conclusion: any resistance training, versus none, was tied to about a 15% lower risk of dying from any cause, with the biggest benefit around 30–60 minutes a week.²

That last point matters. You don't need to live in the gym. An hour a week of purposeful strength work — two or three focused sessions — is where much of the benefit shows up.

It protects the body you'll have at 90

Starting around our mid-thirties, we naturally lose muscle each decade — a process called sarcopenia. Left unchecked, it's what eventually makes stairs harder, groceries heavier and falls more likely. Resistance training is the most direct countermeasure we have. A 2021 meta-analysis of randomized trials in older adults with sarcopenia found that resistance training significantly improved grip strength, leg strength, walking speed and the ability to stand up and move — the exact abilities that keep people independent.³

People can respond even in their nineties. In a landmark study, frail adults with an average age of 90 completed eight weeks of supervised high-intensity resistance training. The nine participants who finished increased strength by an average of 174%, increased mid-thigh muscle area by 9% and improved tandem walking speed by 48%.⁴ It was a small study, but it made an important point: very advanced age does not eliminate the body's capacity to adapt.

Bones respond too. A 2025 meta-analysis found resistance training significantly increased bone mineral density at the spine and hip in postmenopausal women, with heavier loading a few times a week being most effective.⁵ Stronger bones and stronger muscles are how you stay out of the fall-and-fracture cycle that changes lives after 65.

How much, and how to start

Both the World Health Organization and the CDC recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities working all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week, and the WHO adds that older adults should include strength and balance work three or more days a week to maintain function and prevent falls.^6,7 That's the whole prescription: most major muscle groups, twice a week, with enough effort that the last few reps feel genuinely hard.

If you're new to it, the hardest part is knowing where to begin — which is exactly what a coach is for. At mActivity, every new membership includes a Starting Point Session with a trainer who builds a plan around your body and where you're starting from. Whether you're 25 or 65, the modern strength equipment and turf area give you room to train safely and progress at your pace.

Come try it free for two days and get started with a coach, or see all of our services.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Research on these topics is ongoing; results vary from person to person. Talk with a qualified professional before starting a new exercise or recovery routine.