Why Strength Training Is Important As You Age

I saw an interesting New York Times article in early January: “8 Fitness Myths That Drive Experts Crazy.”

You can read the article here—you might need a subscription to do that, so I’ll give you the summary.

Writer Danielle Friedman surveyed a host of fitness experts and asked them about the most common myths they run into, and then she created a list of the top eight misconceptions.

Among the myths: you should stretch before training, running is bad for your knees, and runners and cyclists don’t need to do strength work for their legs.

I won’t dig into all of them here, but one myth really caught my eye: Walking is enough to keep you fit as you age.

We all have older people in our lives, so I’ll give you some straight talk in case it helps you improve the life of someone you love. (Feel free to forward this or invite an older friend or family member to book a chat with me at the gym!)

Here’s the truth: Walking is better than doing nothing at all, but once you can walk for about 20 minutes or so, more walking isn’t the best way to improve fitness and quality of life.

Older people should walk if they enjoy it, and they’ll definitely burn some calories doing it, but one walk a day isn’t a substitute for a fitness program that’s designed to improve strength and conditioning.

Walking will help you build a very basic level of conditioning, but to improve it further, you’d need to walk farther, walk faster, carry something, etc. Most people just walk the same distance at the same speed every day, and that won’t force the body to adapt and improve.

The New York Times article also noted that muscle mass starts to decline after you hit 30, and that’s a big problem.

“People can do daily activities with a minimal amount of cardiovascular fitness, but when they don’t have the strength or the muscle power to do daily activities, that’s when they lose their independence,” Anne Brady, an associate professor of exercise science at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, said in the article.

You use muscles to walk, but walking is not a muscle-building activity. To build muscle, you need to do strength training.

Many older people avoid lifting weights because they’re scared of getting injured, they don’t know how to lift or they don’t think they need to lift. But lifting weights under the supervision of a coach is the best way to maintain and even build strength. An experienced coach can adjust movements to accommodate injuries, mobility issues, or other concerns, allowing an older person to work their muscles safely.

Yes, we will all eventually lose muscle mass as we reach our very late years, but you can fight that decline and maintain impressive levels of strength and muscle as you age if you train properly.

So if you’re currently lifting weights and following a strength training program, you are doing one of the best things you can do to remain independent as you age.

If you aren’t doing strength work, or if an older person in your life isn’t lifting, remember that it is never too late to start. We’ve seen people at any age quickly gain strength, and we’ve even seen older people add muscle mass. It’s amazing when they tell us they can stand more easily, play longer with grandkids, or do household tasks with less pain.

The New York Times has it right: Walking is not enough to keep people fit as they age. But if people combine walking with strength training and conditioning work two or three times a week, they’ll maintain and even improve fitness.

The next steps: Add in other general activities like yardwork or fun, and recreational sports, and support your lifestyle with sound nutrition.

That’s the prescription that will give a person the best chance at a long and healthy life.

So, if you know anyone who might need some myth-busting, forward this message. Or, if you like, bring that person in to chat with me. You know me: I’ll answer every question and explain how I can help—because I care about the people you care about.

Here’s the link for a free consultation.

Coach Brice

POPULAR POSTS

CrossFit Workouts for Week of 12/09-12/15/2024

This month, we’ll continue to focus on Open workouts and testers as we approach the upcoming CrossFit Games season.

Start the week with a fun front squat and double-dumbbell farmers carry couplet on Monday.

On Wednesday, power through a heavy 1-rep thruster EMOM, followed by a max-rep set.

Embrace this month’s theme on Saturday as you and a partner tackle Event 10 from the 2021 CrossFit Games.

CrossFit Workouts for Week of 12/02-12/08

Welcome to December, a month focused on Open workouts and testers to help prepare for the upcoming CrossFit Open.

This month aims to give athletes insights into their fitness levels in specific movements and time domains.

Expect benchmarks like Open Workout 24.1, Fight Gone Bad, Christine, and Open Workout 23.1.

Work through shoulder press, thruster, power snatch, and front-rack lunge heavy days.

Aim to hit a heavy 1-rep-max lift immediately after higher reps at moderate loads.

Round out a great year and gear up for 2025!

CrossFit Workouts for Week of 11/25-12/1/2024

Welcome to the last week of November, where we’ll round out our focus on Olympic weightlifting and transition into prioritizing Open workouts and testers in December.

Start this week with a rowing and ring dip couplet, where complementary movement patterns and decreasing distances allow athletes to maintain intensity on the rower.

On Tuesday, balance mechanics and push PRs as you build to a 1-rep-max snatch and clean and jerk.

Post Thanksgiving fun yet grueling kettlebell partner workout on Saturday.

Wrap the week with a Hero workout in honor of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Matthew T. Abbate.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE INTRO

Talk with a coach about your goals. Get the plan to achieve them.

FILL OUT THE FORM TO GET STARTED

Take the first step towards getting the results you want!

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from CrossFit Fixx