Do you picture yourself as an active, independent older adult who moves easily, enjoys life, and stays strong well into your older years? For many, the dream of having a long health span (healthy years) is as or more important than the dream of having a long lifespan. While we may not phrase it that way, older adults have consistently pointed to health as essential to their quality of life as they age 1.

So, how can we ensure we live long lives and age well?

Well, exercise is one of the keys to a longer and healthier life. If you’re already dreading the idea of running again, you can bookmark that worry for another day — because today, we’re going to talk about the importance of muscular strength while ageing.

Let’s discuss what happens to our muscles as we age, how that affects our daily lives, and, more importantly, how we can stay strong, mobile, and independent for years to come.

What Happens to Your Muscles as You Age

As we age, our muscles begin to lose mass. They also lose some other vital functions, including a loss of endurance, power, and stamina. The loss of muscle mass actually begins in humans as early as age 30, so the idea that loss of muscle mass just occurs in older adults isn’t accurate. However, some more significant functional and structural changes occur with age. 

These include:

  • Composition changes. The types of fibres in your muscles change 2. Mainly, there is a loss of “fast-twitch” fibres, the part of the muscle responsible for powerful moves. Fat also builds up in the muscles where muscle tissue once was, which can reduce efficacy 3.
  • Diminished energy sources. With age, the muscles experience less function from the mitochondria, one of the primary energy sources in muscle cells. As a result, the energy stores in the muscles takes a significant hit 4.
  • Loss of tone and flexibility. Muscles may become more rigid and less toned, even when exercising, as one ages.

These changes amount to sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle mass, function, and strength 5. While muscular changes are inevitable with age, exercise can still help you age well and prevent sarcopenia.

6 Reasons to Do Muscular Strength Training at Any Age

It’s never too late to start muscular strength training. It has enormous benefits for every system in our body and is an investment in living a healthy, active life at every age.

1. Reduced risk of weight gain

Muscular strength training can increase metabolic rate, or the rate at which your body burns calories to maintain its basic functions 6. That means that even at rest, your body burns more calories than it would if you were not engaging in muscular strength training. 

That’s why strength training can be an effective tool for reducing the risk of weight gain or a part of effective weight management. Particularly for older adults, strength training can help counteract the natural drop in metabolic rate – which often contributes to weight gain as you progress toward the later part of your life – and the decrease in muscle mass.

2. Reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes

Strength training has positive effects for those at risk of experiencing heart disease and type 2 diabetes as a standalone method of prevention. Not only does strength training reduce mortality risk due to heart disease by 17%, but it also reduces risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and body composition(fat vs muscle) 7.

Because strength training helps improve insulin sensitivity, it can also help with blood sugar control, ultimately reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 32% 8.

Both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are associated with decreased cognitive function in older adults, faster ageing, and physical limitations that can affect the loss of independence.

3. Improved balance, mobility, and muscular endurance

One of the best effects of strength training for older adults is improved balance and mobility later in life 9. Muscle strength, function, balance, and mobility all support decreased fall risk in older adults 10. Mobility is one of the main factors that may determine how independent someone is as they age. While you can recover from a fall, especially with the help of a trained physiotherapist, it’s never easy, and the effects of a fall can be devastating.

4. Improved mood

Exercise is widely known and recommended for mood improvement and delaying cognitive decline, whether related to age or a specific disease. While strength training in older adults has not explicitly received as much attention as exercise at large, it has been studied, and the results thus far support that it has similar positive effects on mood, including a significant reduction of depressive symptoms 11.

5. Reduced risk of bone disease

Roughly in line with when we start losing muscle mass, our bones reach their peak at age 30 12. By age 40, we begin to lose bone density, putting us at risk for bone diseases like osteoporosis or musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis. 

Having muscles and bones that aren’t as sharp as they used to be can make mobility, agility, and strength difficult later in life.

Luckily for our bones and muscles, muscle strengthening can combat loss of muscle function and increase bone density. This improvement in bone density as we age can improve our movement capabilities and help prevent bone conditions that could be debilitating to mobility and independence.

6. Injury prevention

As you strengthen your muscles throughout your life, well into your older years, your improved muscle strength, power, and endurance – along with the other positive effects on your other organ systems – will help prevent injuries as you lead an active, independent life.

Your exercise regimen will help prevent potential falls, and you’ll be better prepared to recover from any injuries that occur so you can get back to your activities of daily living feeling better than ever.

Easy Strength and Flexibility Exercises to Improve Muscular Strength and Endurance at Home

Physiotherapy is about more than treating you once something happens – it’s about empowering you to prevent injuries and stay strong. If you’re ready to start building strength from the comfort of your home, here are four easy physiotherapist-recommended exercises you can start doing today to build muscle mass.

1. Elevated push-up

2. Wall angels

3. Calf raises

4. Squat into chair

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make an appointment with a London physiotherapist?

To make an appointment with a Physit therapist, contact us at 0204 570 2391, and a team member will help you arrange your first visit.

How do I prepare for my muscle strengthening appointment?

All we need is a safe area for a treatment table to be set up. We require you to be ready and dressed appropriately if there is an area being treated. Please have any scans or reports (X-ray, CT, MRI) or discharge notes ready for your therapist, if applicable.

Read more of our FAQs and contact us if you can’t find the answer you need.

How an At-Home Physiotherapist Can Help You Build Strength As You Age

Building strength is key to having long, healthy lives that we can enjoy to the fullest. It’s never too late to start building strength or to begin your journey combatting the effects of ageing. With our experienced physiotherapy team, you can age with strength and independence. 
Physit is a mobile physiotherapy service that brings treatment to your door so you can receive care where you’re most comfortable. We’re committed to making physiotherapy accessible to everyone, and we work to customise treatment plans backed by the latest evidence. Book your first Physit appointment today and discover a healthier way to live.

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  2. Lang, T. F. (2011). The bone-muscle relationship in older adults: Implications for sarcopenia and fracture risk. Journal of Osteoporosis, 2011, Article 185744. https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/185744 ↩︎
  3. National Library of Medicine. (2019). Effects of aging on skeletal muscle mass and strength. PLOS ONE, 14(3), e0213263. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213263 ↩︎
  4. Mount Sinai. (n.d.). Aging changes in the bones, muscles, and joints. Mount Sinai Health Library. Retrieved February 24, 2025, from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/aging-changes-in-the-bones-muscles-joints ↩︎
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  9. Beauchamp, M. K., Ward, R. E., & Kurlinski, L. A. (2021). The interaction between mobility status and physical activity: A key consideration for maintaining independence in older adults. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 49(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000241 ↩︎
  10. Doherty, T. J., Vandervoort, A. A., & Brown, W. F. (1997). Effects of aging on the motor unit: A brief review. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 22(1), 52–67. https://doi.org/10.1139/h97-005 ↩︎
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  12. Murach, K. A., & Bagley, J. R. (2016). Skeletal muscle hypertrophy with concurrent exercise training: Contrary evidence for an interference effect. Sports Medicine, 46(8), 1029–1039. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0496-y ↩︎