Experts Say Weight Lifting Is The Fountain Of Youth. Here's How To Get Started At Any Age
If you want to lift your grandkids, get up the stairs, haul groceries, and conquer all of life’s adventures with confidence as you age, here’s the science-backed secret: lift weights. Yep, those dumbbells in the gym aren’t just for young fitness buffs (you know this!)—they’re your ticket to keep doing the things you love most.
Getting older doesn’t mean getting weaker. In fact, senior weight lifting—that is, doing resistance training with machines and/or free weights in your 60s and beyond—offers physical and mental benefits that make it a far more important component to healthy aging than you might realize.
Women start losing muscle after 30—and this loss speeds up after menopause due to dramatic changes in your hormone levels. This change impacts both muscle and bone health, but strength training can help prevent weak bones, promote preservation (and even addition!) of muscle, and set your body up for an active, independent life, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
In this article, together with Abby Bales, PT, DPT, CSCS, founder of Reform Physical Therapy, we’ll share all the fundamentals you need to understand why weight lifting and strength training are so important as you age, and how you can (safely!) get started.
Meet the expert: Abby Bales, PT, DPT, CSCS, is a doctor of physical therapy, strength and conditioning coach, and the founder of Reform Physical Therapy.
How Senior Weight Lifting Can Future-Proof Your Life
Aging gracefully isn't just about staying active; it’s about choosing the right kind of activity to support your health. Resistance training (such as bodyweight, free weight, and resistance band exercises) is one of the best ways to counter the effects of aging, helping you build up muscle to support daily activities and prevent conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis that can lead to bone fractures. And even if you've never lifted a weight before, it's never too late to start.
“Weight training is the fountain of youth,” says Bales. “Not only does it help increase and maintain bone density to prevent fractures, but the muscle mass that weight training builds also helps to regulate our blood sugar and metabolism.” Weight lifting can even improve balance and coordination, decreasing the frequency, severity, and likelihood of falls.
On top of the physical benefits, resistance training has shown promise in staving off neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia, according to a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, making it a multi-benefit tool for aging well. You can think of lifting weights as your body’s best tool to promote resilience, energy, and independence through the aging process.
Starting with small, manageable steps—such as incorporating resistance bands or light weights into your routine—can help you gain confidence and momentum while reaping the long-term benefits.
The Best Weight Lifting Moves For Seniors
The best exercises for women over 60 are weight-bearing and promote strength, posture, and/or balance (and sometimes all at once). While the best exercises for each individual depend on factors including medical history, bone density, fitness level, and personal preference, it’s always great to start with fundamental exercises that incorporate movements used in daily life.
To help get you started, here are a few exercises that Bales recommends older women incorporate in their weekly routine.
Instructions: Start with two to three sets of 10 reps for each exercise below. If you’re new to strength training, begin by doing the routine once a week and gradually work up to three times per week. Choose a weight that feels heavy enough to make the last two to three reps of each set feel tough, yet achievable.
Time: 15-20 minutes | Equipment: Dumbbells, kettlebells, stair or step-up platform | Good for: Full-body
1. Air Squat
Why it rocks: The air squat mimics many daily activities, such as getting up and down from a toilet seat, standing up from a chair, and bending down to pick something up. All of these activities are important as we age, so make sure you’re doing some form of squatting as you get older to help stay independent and capable of all these tasks and more. This move is also great because it can be done using your body weight alone, although adding a weight to up the intensity is always encouraged.
How to:
Start standing with feet hip-distance apart, toes pointed out slightly.
Keeping head in line with tailbone, shift hips back and bend at knees.
Lower down until thighs are parallel with floor.
Drive up through heels to return to standing. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: If getting down low enough or balancing feels too challenging, try doing this with a chair or couch behind you. At the bottom of the move, tap your bum to the seat or briefly pause there before standing back up.
2. Overhead Shoulder Press
Why it rocks: This exercise helps with strength and mobility in the shoulder joint, which will allow you to reach items in upper cabinets or even put on/take off a t-shirt for years to come.
How to:
In any standing or seated position that you feel comfortable in, maintain good posture (shoulders over hips, spine neutral, navel drawn in) and bring dumbbells to shoulders, framing your face. Forearms should be parallel to one another.
Press both weights directly overhead until arms are completely straight. Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: If this is too challenging with weights, start by trying it without weights. Doing the move seated as opposed to sitting can also help. Focus on slow, controlled movements to protect the shoulder joint and get the most muscle engagement out of this move.
3. Low Box Step-Up
Why it rocks: As we age, simple things like stepping up onto a curb, walking on uneven surfaces and going up and down stairs can become challenging and increase the risk of tripping or falling. For this reason, it’s important to practice fully picking up the feet and clearing them from the floor. This exercise focuses on just that.
How to:
Stand in front of a sturdy low step or step-up box holding dumbbells at sides. (This can also be done with body weight only.)
Step right foot up onto bench, driving through right heel to bring left foot up to meet it.
Step down one foot at a time. Repeat on other side. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: If this is challenging, start by doing it somewhere that you can hold onto a railing or fixed surface with one hand for support. You can also start with a low step or platform—something that’s six inches high or less—and eventually increase the height as the move becomes easier.
4. Seated Biceps Curl
Why it rocks: Your biceps help you bend your arm and make it possible to perform daily tasks such as doing your laundry, lifting a heavy pot or pan, and more. Biceps curls are a great way to keep this muscle strong.
How to:
Sit tall on a chair with feet flat holding dumbbells at sides, palms facing forward.
Bend elbows and lift weights up toward shoulders, keeping elbows close to body.
Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: If moving both arms at once feels too challenging, do one at a time. Once the seated version of this exercise feels easy, try doing it standing up.
5. Alternating Bent-Over Row
Why it rocks: Good posture is important for preventing things like stress fractures, which can occur in women with low bone density due to osteoporosis. This move targets the shoulders, upper back, and biceps all at once, helping to improve posture and strength.
How to:
Stand with feet hip-width, knees slightly bent, and your arms just in front of your legs.
Hinge at your hips with your torso parallel to the floor or at a 45-degree angle. Focus on keeping your back flat.
Drive your elbow back toward your hips with weights in hand, feeling your shoulder blades squeeze together.
Lower slowly to the starting position. Repeat on other side. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: Rows can be done in an upright or bent-over standing position. The angle at which you hinge forward will impact the workload: the more forward you lean, the more intense the exercise will feel. Modify this angle or try a more upright position to find a variation that works for you.
6. Alternating Reverse Lunge
Why it rocks: Reverse lunges build strength in the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, while also improving balance and stability to help prevent falls as we age.
How to:
Stand with feet hip-width, hands on hips if using body weight, or holding weights down by sides.
Step one foot back, bending both knees to 90-degrees to lower into a lunge.
Push through the heel of the front foot and toes of the back foot to return to standing. That’s 1 rep. Repeat on other side.
Pro tip: This can be a challenging exercise for many people because of the balance aspect, so try holding onto a stable object or countertop with one hand at first.
7. Incline Pushup
Why it rocks: Incline pushups are a gentler version of regular pushups, perfect for building arm, shoulder, and chest strength without straining your wrists or shoulders.
How to:
Place hands on a stable and fixed elevated surface (like the bottom step of a staircase) with feet extended back.
Keep body straight and shoulders engaged as you lower chest toward the surface by bending elbows, then push back up to plank. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: Begin with a higher surface to reduce intensity and pressure on the wrists. You can even use a wall! As you improve with this move, gradually lower the incline to make your body more parallel to the floor, which will make the exercise feel more challenging.
8. Half Turkish Get-Up
Why it rocks: This move is truly a full-body functional exercise that is great for improving balance, strength, and mobility to help older adults get up and down from the floor.
How to:
Lie face-up with a weight in right hand resting in front of your right shoulder. Bend right leg, placing foot flat on floor. Stretch out left arm and leg to the side at a 45-degree angle.
With a good grip on the weight, press it up toward ceiling, straightening your right arm completely and keeping gaze on the weight.
With eyes still on the weight overhead, rise onto left forearm, then push into the palm of left hand to sit up.
Keeping core engaged, reverse the move to return to starting position. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: This is a complex move, so it’s best to break it down into smaller parts first. Try it first without weights and start by practicing just one or two pieces of the movement before putting it all together.
9. Triceps Kickback
Why it rocks: Your triceps are important for extending your elbow, making daily movements possible like pushing yourself up from the ground or supporting your bodyweight with your arms (like in a plank).
How to:
Stand with knees slightly bent and a dumbbell in each hand.
Hinge forward at waist, keeping elbows by sides and bent at 90 degrees.
Maintain an open chest by engaging the shoulder blades.
Extend the weights back by straightening arms, then return to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: Because the triceps are a tiny muscle, they don’t need much resistance to “turn on.” Start with no weights and only a small lean forward to see how it feels, then gradually increase the resistance by adding light weights. For extra support, try this move seated or using a single arm at a time for better focus on form.
10. Sumo Squat
Why it rocks: This squat variation has all the perks of a classic squat, but widens the stance to target the inner thighs, glutes, and quads from a slightly different angle.
How to:
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width, evenly distribute weight, and toes turned out to 10 and two o’clock.
Keep core engaged and chest tall as you inhale, bend knees, and sink hips down until thighs are parallel to floor.
Exhale as you drive through heels back to an upright standing position. That’s 1 rep.
Pro tip: As always, start with a lighter weight or body weight only to master form. If stability is challenging, try holding onto a support for extra balance.
Exercises You Should Skip
There really aren’t any exercises that are completely off-limits for older women, says Bales—as long as you’re comfortable. If an exercise causes pain, skip it. If it feels too challenging or confusing to get the hang of, try tweaking it to better suit your needs.
That said, depending on your fitness level, bone density, and current mobility and stability level, high-impact, single-side, and twisting exercises should be approached with caution, and may be best left behind for some people, she says.
High-impact moves like jump squats and box jumps—while great for building up and strengthening your bones—put extra strain on joints, and therefore may not be a good idea for those who already experience joint pain or have arthritis, says Bales. If balance is an area of improvement for you, single-leg exercises are a great tool to rely on, as long as you’re using a stable platform to stabilize yourself and avoid ending up on the floor. Similarly, rotational exercises involving twisting of the spine are great for core strength and mobility, but can increase the risk of spinal compression fractures for those with advanced bone density issues, she says.
For beginners, it’s best to stick with slow, controlled resistance and bodyweight exercises that build strength without unnecessary strain, like bodyweight squats, resistance band work, or moderate weight lifting, says Bales. Above all, prioritize good form over the amount of weight you’re lifting, and don’t let fear stop you from getting started.
Bales’ bottom line: “Move as much as possible.” If you’re not sure which exercises are appropriate for you, consider seeing a physical therapist to get a full assessment and discuss your preferences and goals.
How To Build A Routine That Works For You
Building a strength training routine doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs to be consistent. “Start small, build gradually, and stick with it,” says Bales. She recommends starting with two or three sessions per week, focusing on five to six exercises from this list for three sets of 10 reps. Try rotating between upper body, lower body, and core exercises to keep things balanced.
Progress takes time, so be patient. “Results usually show in six to eight weeks,” Bales explains. The key is to keep showing up and enjoy the process—your future self will thank you.
Real Tips From Real Women Who Lift Weights
Weight lifting later in life doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges, but the rewards far outweigh the hurdles. Take it from these inspiring women, who spoke with WH previously about their later-in-life strength training journeys:
Marilynn Larkin says not to let fear or self-consciousness hold you back. “Feel your fear, then go through it,” she previously told WH. Following a cancer diagnosis, lifting weights became a way to push through her fears and embrace all that her body was capable of. “[Weight lifting] is all about allowing your body to reach its full potential and accepting it as it is.”
Ginny MacColl recommends starting with a small yet challenging goal and celebrating each milestone—no matter how small, focusing on progress, not perfection. “Little by little, these small steps lead to big changes,” she previously told WH, after becoming the oldest woman to complete an obstacle on American Ninja Warrior and breaking a Guinness World Record as a result. “Instead of letting negativity and thoughts like 'I can’t' creep in, I focus on getting stronger, physically and mentally. It works.”
Michelle Alber says don’t wait. After just 18 months of training focused on progressive overload (gradually increasing the weight and intensity of her workouts) and working with a coach to ensure her routine was safe and effective, she reversed her osteoporosis. “There is never a ‘perfect’ time to start or a ‘right’ time to do anything,” she previously told WH. “Was it hard to make major lifestyle changes at 65? Yes! But it’s about choosing your ‘hard’ and taking control of your life.”
Staying Safe While You Get Stronger
Starting a new weight lifting routine can be exciting, but safety should come first at any age. Here are some important tips from Bales to keep in mind as you embark on your strength training journey:
Clear your space. Ensure your workout area is free of obstacles to prevent slipping, sliding, or tripping.
Choose appropriate weights. If you’re new to a move, start with body weight only. When you’re ready to add weights, choose something that allows you to perform at least eight to 10 reps with good form but feels challenging by the last two to three. If your form falters before then, the weight may be too heavy.
Warm up and cool down. Include gentle stretches and mobility exercises before and after lifting to get your muscles acclimated and prevent injury.
Focus on form. Follow visual guides (like the loop videos included for the moves above) to work towards proper technique and reduce the risk of injury. You can even consider videoing yourself or lifting in front of a mirror (being mindful not to strain your gaze in a way that alters your alignment) to check your form. If possible, book one or two sessions with a trainer to ensure you’re starting with proper technique.
Listen to your body. Pay attention to any pain or discomfort. If something hurts, skip it!
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