How Old is Too Old For Strength Training?

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Here’s an interaction Jenni recently had on one of her Facebook posts:

Commenter: “I’m not strong enough to do that [strong move Jenni demonstrated in a yoga flow]”

Jenni: “General shoulder and core strengthening can make this move more accessible!”

Commenter: “I am old. 74. My body can't strengthen.”

Jenni: “It's literally never too old to start strength training! In fact, here’s a brand-new study showing that older bodies can still build significant muscle – even at 85+ years old! (Marcuza-Nassr et al., 2023)”

It’s true!

While it’s commonly believed that strength training isn’t meant for “older people” – and that more appropriate activities for this population are *gentle movement* modalities like chair yoga, restorative yoga, water aerobics, etc. – science actually suggests otherwise!

In reality, decades of exercise science research has established that strength training stimulates impressive strength gains and muscle growth and improves function in older adults.

These incredibly positive benefits are especially important for aging populations, because aging is associated with loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia), reduced ability to perform activities of daily living, and lowered quality of life.

Therefore, our societal belief that older adults should only take part in gentle movement activities is inaccurate – and may actually contribute to the widespread issue of frailty in older age.

New Research on Strength Training and Older Populations With a New Insight!

In October of 2023, a study was published that sheds a new and exciting light on this topic!

Even though we know strength training elicits positive adaptations in older adults, there was some speculation that our muscles’ ability to adapt to strength training would slow down at very elderly ages (85+ years old).

But is this idea correct??

This new study set out to test that hypothesis. The researchers compared a whole-body, progressive strength training program in a “younger” older population (65-75 years old) and an “older” older population (85+ years old).

And what did they find?

There was no difference in the beneficial effects of the strength training program between the two age groups!

So even at very elderly ages, we preserve our ability to adapt.

Isn’t that amazing and encouraging to know?? (Marcuza-Nassr et al., 2023)

Bottom line: it's literally never too late to start strength training. Older bodies that have never picked up a weight before can still build muscle and strength – it’s true!

And if there’s a strong yoga transition you'd like to do one day, taking on a strength training practice can absolutely help you get there – regardless of your age!