Why lowering your biological age is as big a flex as you think

Not many people in the fitness industry are saying this enough – so let’s shout it louder for those of you at the back.

Strength doesn’t have to decline with age.

In a society seemingly obsessed with staying young, this is still a subject that’s chronically overlooked. Surface-level fixes like fillers and lifts might be filling the gossip columns. But science has shown that many of the more meaningful physical effects of ageing are largely reversible – you just need to use your body better.

Strength training for older adults doesn’t mean going gentle or valiantly trying to “stay active” as you age. In fact, we’re done with the narrative that you ever have to slow down at all.

Whether you’re in your ‘never got into fitness’ 40s, ‘it’s too late for me’ 50s, ‘my body can’t handle it’ 60s or way beyond – we’re going to show you why building and maintaining real strength could be the single most important thing you can do for your long-term health.

What actually happens to your body (and when)

We don’t want to scare you, but from around the age of 35, muscle mass begins to steadily decline – at a rate of roughly 3–5% per decade. It’s a natural part of being human, but one that accelerates significantly for some people once they hit 60, in a clinical condition called sarcopenia – which affects an estimated 5–13% of adults in that age group.

Losing that muscle mass is one thing. But it’s the loss of strength that comes with it that’s the real problem. It’s the reduced ability for functional movement that makes older people much more susceptible to falls and fractures – and puts their independence at risk as a result.

But the good news? This muscle loss doesn’t have to be accepted as an inevitable part of ageing. Strength training (such as lifting weights or using resistance bands) is a proven way of not only slowing sarcopenia – but actually reversing its effects. And it’s never (ever) too late to start.

The benefits of staying strong (beyond what you see)

If the thought of weight training summons bulky bodies and ‘unattainable’ physiques to your mind, we’re about to change that. Sure, aesthetics can be a goal for some – but the benefits of strength training for older adults go way beyond what you see on the outside.

Muscle preservation and independence
The stronger you are, the more muscle you have to lose before daily tasks become difficult. Staying ahead of sarcopenia through training means staying functionally capable for longer – meaning you’ll be carrying bags, climbing stairs, getting up from the floor without thinking for decades to come.

Bone density
Resistance training puts controlled stress on bones, which respond by becoming denser and stronger. This is particularly significant for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fracture – a major concern as we age (especially for women post-menopause.)

Metabolic health
Muscle tissue is metabolically active – which means it burns energy at rest. Maintaining muscle mass as you age helps keep your metabolism functioning efficiently, supports healthy blood sugar regulation and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Brain health
Resistance training is increasingly linked to improved cognitive function, reduced risk of dementia and better mental health outcomes in older adults. So strength training doesn't just protect your body – it protects your mind too.

Balance and fall prevention
Strength training (particularly exercises that challenge stability) significantly reduces the risk of falls in older adults. Given that falls are a leading cause of serious injury and hospitalisation in the over-65s, this might be the most underappreciated benefit of all.

Your BioAge
This is where it gets measurable. BioAge – the metric you can track via able, our smart training system - tests your biological age across four pillars: strength, cardio, flexibility and metabolism. It shows you how your body is actually performing relative to your age group, and crucially, how that changes over time as you train. We might not be able to change your chronological age, but for people who exercise consistently, your BioAge is as young as your training makes it. Scroll down for more.

Structuring strength training exercises (for older adults)

The principles of effective strength training don't change dramatically with age - but there are a few things worth knowing as you get older.

How often should you train?

Two to three sessions of resistance training per week remains the evidence-backed sweet spot for most people, regardless of age. The key difference as you get older is that recovery takes longer – so spacing your sessions out and respecting rest days matters more. Quality over quantity, always.

What should you focus on?

Compound movements (exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously) give you the most returns on your efforts. Think squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and lunges – all movements that build functional strength that translate directly to how you move through daily life.

Alongside this sort of compound work, balance and stability exercises are well worth investing in as you age. Single-leg movements, farmer's carries and core work all build the kind of functional resilience that protects against falls and injury – and the sooner you start, the stronger you’ll be later down the line.

If the weights floor feels unfamiliar, a strength-based class is one of the best ways in. The guided format gives you a workout to follow, the group energy keeps you accountable, and classes like BodyPump are specifically designed to be scalable – whatever level you're starting at. [Browse strength classes]

How hard should you push?

Hard enough to create a stimulus – which means the last few reps of each set should feel genuinely effortful. The research is clear that older adults can and do respond to resistance training in the same way younger adults do. You don't need to lift lighter – you just need to lift smarter, with good technique, the right load and consistent progressive overload over time.

When to get expert support

You don’t ‘need’ a PT to get going. But having someone who knows what they're looking at can make all the difference when it comes to tailoring workouts to meet you, judgement-free, wherever you’re currently at. Good technique matters more when joints are less forgiving. A PT spots the compensation patterns you can't see yourself, adjusts your load intelligently, and keeps your programme progressing safely over time. If you've never lifted before, even a handful of sessions to get started properly is worth it. [Find a PT at Fitness First]

What to keep in mind the older you get

Recovery
Allow 48 to 72 hours between training sessions that target the same muscle groups. As you age, the recovery window tends to extend – this is normal and worth working with, rather than against.

Protein
Older adults need more protein than younger ones to achieve the same muscle-building response. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day, and try to distribute that across meals rather than concentrating it in one sitting.

Sleep
Muscle repair happens during sleep. Research shows that poor sleep meaningfully reduces muscle protein synthesis – making sleep one of the most important (and most overlooked) parts of any training programme, at any age.

Consistency over intensity
The biggest variable in long-term strength outcomes is showing up. Not how hard any individual session is, but how consistently you train over months and years. The body adapts to whatever you consistently ask of it.

Measure what's actually changing with BioAge

Most people track progress the wrong way – scales, mirror checks, rough feelings of whether they're ‘fitter’. But none of these quite capture exactly what’s happening in your body.

BioAge changes that. By measuring your strength, cardio fitness, flexibility, and metabolic health against the typical values for your age group, you get a precise, trackable picture of how your training is affecting your biological age over time. 

A 55-year-old who trains consistently might carry the BioAge of a 45-year-old. That gap (and the trend over time) is what meaningful progress looks like.

able – our smart training system – builds a personalised programme around your goals, adapts as you progress, and has BioAge tracking built in from day one. Whether you're starting from scratch or picking things back up after years away, it meets you exactly where you are. Find out more about able.