Building Strength: The Case for Resistance Training for Older Women

Contrary to popular belief, weightlifting is not only a young man's — or a young person's — game. In fact, not only do older women have a place at the gym, they may have more to gain from resistance training than any other demographic.

Amid their changing health needs after age 50, evidence shows that muscle strengthening exercise and increased protein can help women stay healthy, active and empowered for longer. And at 60, 70 or even 80 — it's not too late to start.

"Adding muscle is a good thing. We should strive to add as much as possible and also do everything we can to hang on to it as long as possible," says Michael Ormsbee, director of the Institute of Sports Sciences & Medicine at Florida State University.

More muscles and stronger muscles have been linked to a number of good health outcomes for older women including better cardiovascular health, cholesterol levels, and lower risk of falls and fractures. More lean mass can also improve bone mineral density, a huge benefit given that women are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.

The trouble, however, is that muscle is hard to hang on to as we age.

Both men and women experience age-related muscle loss. In its severest form, this muscle loss causes a condition called sarcopenia which affects approximately 45% of older Americans and is a direct cause of disability.

Women are especially vulnerable to sarcopenia, according to Lynda Ransdell, chair of kinesiology at Boise State University. They have less muscle than men to begin with, she says. And after age 30, a woman's muscle mass starts to decline. They lose between 3% and 8% of their lean muscle mass each decade and menopause can further accelerate that muscle loss. 

"Everyday activities we take for granted like carrying groceries, picking up a laundry basket off the ground, climbing stairs or getting out of the car" can become extremely difficult as muscle mass erodes, says Justin Keogh, an exercise scientist who studies resistance training in older adults at Bond University.

That's where resistance training comes in.

Resistance training or strength training is simply this: challenging your muscle with a heavy load so that it has to contract. This stimulates small tearing in your muscle, which the body then repairs. That repair process actually fortifies the muscle, making it stronger and often bigger.

Stimulating muscles with resistance training is a proven way to subdue muscle loss and improve balance and strength. However, not all exercises or activities have the same muscle-building potential.

Older adults have traditionally been advised to prioritize aerobic exercise like walking and gardening. And while these can definitely be a part of a healthy lifestyle, they don't qualify as resistance training, Keogh says. In fact, these exercises largely neglect the part of the muscle that generates strength and power — the fast-twitch muscle fibers, he says.

Fast-twitch muscle fibers are the part of the muscle needed for short bursts of energy, like when you stand, squat or pick up a toddler. They're also the muscle fibers that are most impacted by sarcopenia. Because women have fewer fast-twitch fibers than men and they are more vulnerable to sarcopenia, they must invest in exercises that grow these valuable parts of the muscle. 

Exercises that add significant resistance — often in the form of weights or resistance bands — engage the fast-twitch muscle fibers. Think heavy squats, leg extensions or bicep curls. Stimulating these power-generating muscle fibers helps you hang onto them for longer. 

The good news is that anyone can start resistance training, and it doesn't have to take long.

Ideally, choose a weight that feels heavy to you and only do six to eight reps at a time, Keogh says. Lighter weight loads might allow you to do more reps, but working out longer risks fatigue or even overworking your muscles.

Choose one or two exercises to work out each muscle group: lower body, shoulders, back and arms. Ransdell says this is where a personal trainer or class can be really helpful. Once you have your exercises, complete the six to eight repetitions with a challenging weight for three or four rounds. As you repeat this routine three times a week, the initial weight will likely become easier to lift. That's when it's time to bump it up to a heavier load.

You can make the most of your weightlifting routine in the kitchen, namely by eating enough protein. The protein you eat supplies your body with the essential amino acids it needs to build and repair muscle. In older adults, consuming protein also helps balance out the protein your body is breaking down.

Unfortunately, most older women don't get enough of the muscle-building nutrient. A 2019 study found that 50% of women over 50 were underconsuming protein.

Chances are you need more protein than you think. Protein metabolism becomes less efficient as we age, Keogh says, so older women likely need to eat more protein than their younger counterparts.

Ormsbee says women over 45 should aim for 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per meal and 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day. "Therefore, if a woman weighs 170 pounds, then she should aim for roughly 30 grams of protein at each meal and 170 grams of protein over the entire day," he says.

"Don't be afraid to eat a protein-dominant food or shake before bed, too," Ormsbee advises. "Research now shows that it will not add body fat and it will increase muscle repair while you sleep."

It's a myth that older adults are too late to start weightlifting and building muscle. Research shows that older adults can see significant strength and muscle increases well into their 70s and beyond.

A 2023 study measured the impacts of weightlifting three times a week in older adults, aged 65 to 75 and another group of 85 and older. None of the participants had weightlifted regularly before. But after 12 weeks, both groups showed significant improvements in muscle size and strength. And the 85 and older group actually showed more relative strength and muscle increase, relative to their starting point, than the younger group.

Keogh says this is why it's important to focus on your progress and not compare yourself. Increasing your weight training from 1 pound to 4 pounds may not seem like much at first, but that's a 300% relative increase, he says, which can have huge impacts on your mobility, functionality and independence.

Donavyn Coffey is a Kentucky-based journalist covering health care, food systems and technology in rural places. She holds master's degrees in food technology from Aarhus University and journalism from New York University. You can see more of her work in Wired, Scientific American, Teen Vogue, and elsewhere. Read More