Age Strong with Resistance Training

Weightlifting or strength training can feel intimidating, especially when it’s associated with heavy weights or intense workouts. But resistance training can be a more approachable way to build strength, using free weights, resistance bands, or even your own bodyweight. By working your muscles against an external force, resistance training helps strengthen muscles while also supporting balance, mobility, and overall movement, all of which become increasingly important as we age.

This Monday, learn how resistance training can fit into your routine, with simple exercises you can try at home.

Why Building Strength Matters

Everyone, from young adults to older adults, can benefit from resistance training, and those benefits only increase as we age. Some of them include:

Increased muscle strength
Improved joint stability and mobility
Reduced injury and fall risk
Reduced risk for type 2 diabetes

Emerging research from Syracuse University’s Falk College of Sport found that simple resistance training may also support nerve health, further improving independence and quality of life as we age. To better understand what this means for everyday activity, we asked the researchers behind the study, JoCarol Shields and Jason DeFreitas, for their insights.

“Remaining physically active throughout the adult lifespan is essential for maintaining overall health,” says Shields. “Engaging in exercise that focuses on generating muscular power, with a primary goal of producing force quickly, should be a key objective.” This type of training can help improve mobility and reaction time, helping you move safely and confidently in daily life.

How to Get Started

One of the benefits of resistance training is its flexibility. You don’t need a gym, special equipment, or a long block of time to get started.

Experts recommend focusing on functional, multi-joint movements. These are exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time and mimic everyday actions like standing up, climbing stairs, or lifting objects. “Multi-joint movements train the entire movement,” explains DeFreitas, “thereby engaging multiple muscles simultaneously and helping to preserve functional independence with age.” By focusing on controlled movements with purpose, you can help your body stay responsive and better prepared for everyday moments like catching your balance or reacting to a misstep.

If you’re new to resistance training, here are some ways you can get started:

Begin with bodyweight exercises
Add resistance bands, light weights, or anything you have on hand as needed
Move slowly and with control
Focus on consistency rather than intensity

Resistance Training Exercises to Try

Here are a few expert-recommended exercises to try this week. They can be done at home and adjusted to match your comfort level.

Sit-to-Stands

Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor
Press through your feet to stand
Slowly sit back down
Repeat
To increase difficulty: slow the movement or perform the movement without a chair

Step-ups

Use a stair or sturdy step
Step up with one foot, then step back down slowly
Switch sides and repeat
To increase difficulty: hold a light weight or try a reverse lunge

Seated Leg Lifts

Sit tall with your feet on the floor
Lift one leg slowly, then lower
Switch sides and repeat
To increase difficulty: add a resistance band or try a split squat

Arm Raises

Stand tall with your arms by your sides
Lift one arm to shoulder height
Lower slowly and switch sides
Repeat
To increase difficulty: hold a light weight or try an overhead press

Wall Push-up

Place palms on a wall at shoulder height
Lean in slightly and bend elbows
Push back to standing
Repeat
To increase difficulty: step farther away from the wall or try other push-up variations.

Begin This Monday

Healthy aging is about preserving strength, movement, and confidence over time. This Monday, choose a few resistance exercises to try and build them into your routine. Making this a habit can support your muscles, nerves, and independence at any age.