Strength Training is the Ultimate Anti-Aging Tool

Aging is inevitable, but you have a lot of say in how you age. Recently, Dr. Peter Attia was on 60 Minutes to discuss exercise and health protocols to help improve longevity. One of the things that was important to point out is the difference in life span and health span. Life span is how long you live. Health span is how well you live in those years. It becomes obvious that we want to have a good life span with optimal health span so we can continue to do the things we enjoy for more of our years. With this rise in longevity interest, it has lead people to look for supplements, special cardio regimens, or strict nutrition protocols. It’s often easy to overlook one of the biggest levers we can pull for our health, strength training. At Showtime, we see it every day with adults who commit to lifting that end up feeling, moving better, and enjoying things that they had thought were in their past like recreational sports or traveling. Building and maintaining strength and muscle is a powerful predictor of longevity, independence, and quality of life. 

Preserve Muscle and Metabolism

After age 30, adults begin to lose roughly 3-8% of muscle mass per decade. This process is known as sarcopenia. The loss in muscle leads to lower strength, increased body fat, and slower metabolism. Strength training is a life line for preserving muscle during this time. If you haven’t used strength training in the past, the good news is you ca actually build muscle during this period by beginning a routine training schedule. Regular strength training increases muscle mass which improves protein synthesis leading to preserved metabolic rate and functional ability as we age. Maintain lean muscle mass helps us protect against things like insulin resistance, obesity, and frailty which are some of the big drivers in the decline of health as we age. If you don’t know where to start, no worries. Focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, overhead and bench press, and a variety of pull downs and rows. Aim for two to three training sessions each week with a full body routine. 

Strengthen Bones and Joints

Aging doesn’t just affect muscles, it impacts bone density and joint health. One of the biggest risk factors for people over 65 is falls because weaker bones will break on impact easier. This leads to time being inactive which compounds all negative outcomes of aging. Resistance training helps to increase bone mineral density. With strength training we can enhance tendon stiffness and joint stability which helps us to reduce pain and improve balance. This leads to more daily movement with less risk of falls. This is a huge catalyst for staying mobile and independent. A well rounded training plan should mimic parts of real life. We do most of our training standing or in contact with the ground as opposed to machine based training. This helps us to stabilize our body from the ground up or practice getting down and up from the ground. Your training plan should also include things like moving your body and feet, single leg exercises (these should be monitored and progressed under supervision), and exercises where you move through different planes of motion. The longer we can keep this ability, the longer we’ll have the ability to do the things we want. 

Improves Brain Health

Strength training isn’t just to build muscle or for sport, it builds resilience in your brain. Regular resistance training improves cognitive function, mood, and memory as we age. Strength training can increase levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which helps to support learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. Strength training challenges focus, coordination, and problem solving. These skills carry over to daily activity in life. The mental benefits of strength training match the physical benefits. 

Aging well isn’t about avoiding time, it’s about building the strength to protect against it. Strength training protects your muscles, bones, and brain to give you the confidence and capability to move, think, and live fully regardless of age. We help train adults to stay strong for life because when you build muscle you don’t just add years to you life, you add life to your years. 

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