Editor’s Note: This post was updated on November 15, 2018, for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It was originally published on August 31st, 2016.

As we age we lose muscle mass. There is even a fancy scientific word for it: sarcopenia. It means the loss of muscle mass due to aging.

Between the ages of 30 and 80, both men and women can lose anywhere from 30%-50% of their muscle strength. Decreasing strength can make it a challenge to lead an active lifestyle or find the energy level to complete the daily errands, much less exercise. Inactivity can make muscle loss even worse.

Despite the consequences of muscle mass loss, older individuals are still reluctant to try to improve their fitness level through resistance workouts. There’s false belief that after years of inactivity, they are too old to pick up a dumbbell. But with the right mindset, anyone can set goals to improve your body composition that’ll improve your energy level and keep you active long into your golden years.

That change in mindset starts with gaining a better understanding of two major categories of fitness – physical fitness and functional fitness.

Physical Fitness vs Functional Fitness

If you’re from Generation X or older, you’re old enough to remember the now retired Presidential Physical Fitness Test (Now renamed the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.)

The yearly test held in grade schools across the nation involved a timed mile run, pull-ups, and other tests of strength, agility, endurance, and flexibility. Its goal was to improve the standard of physical fitness.

When you are younger, it’s easier to find a balance between obligations and time for yourself. But as you get older, family and work obligations grow and physical fitness starts to take a backseat to other priorities. If that sounds like you, that’s OK. Sure, achieving that perfect summer body may not be a priority anymore, but there is still an important fitness goal you work on for the rest of your life: functional fitness.

If you’ve never heard the term before, that’s not surprising. In fact, unless you’re over the age of sixty or seventy, it’s probably not even on your radar.  Functional fitness is about being able to perform everyday activities safely, like getting in and out of a seated position or grabbing the spices off the top shelf in your kitchen.

Sounds simple, right? Maybe it is for you now but consider this:

It turns out that 19% of women and 10% of men enrolled in Medicare-aged 65 years or older are unable to kneel. So what? You may have never thought of kneeling as a challenge, but that’s the type of motion that is useful when you need to pick up something that you’ve dropped on the floor. So if you don’t have the balance to kneel and pick something up, you’re in trouble.

It’s not just kneeling, either. Below is a graph showing, by percentages, other physical movements that Medicare enrollees aged 65 years or older cannot perform, such as walk two to three blocks or lift 10 pounds.

Source: CDC

Use it or lose it?

One way to maintain our ability to perform daily activities as we age is by strength training. But convincing men and women at any age to adopt an active lifestyle much less engage in some form of resistance training  can be a challenge.  But for older adults seeking motivation to become healthier and more mobile, make no mistake, as you age, if you don’t stay physically active through regular exercise your balance, energy level,  and mobility will decline.

Strength, balance and improved body composition

Functional fitness, the ability to move about comfortably in our daily lives, not only benefits you in terms of activity but also contributes to an improved body composition. In fact, working to reach a certain level of functional fitness and improving body composition go hand in hand.

The aging process has been shown to reduce our metabolic rate, which often leads to an increase in body fat. That’s largely due to the fact that people tend to lose Lean Body Mass as they age due to inactivity. Lean Body Mass contributes to your overall Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), also known as your metabolism, which is the number of calories your body needs to support its essential functions.

By engaging in strength training or resistance exercises, older adults – as well as anyone at any age — can regain some of the muscle loss due to aging/inactivity, which in turn can lead to an increase in their lean body mass. That increase Lean Body Mass increases BMR, which helps stave off fat gain if diet remains consistent.

Why do we care about improving our body composition as we age? For  important reasons like preventing bone loss, heart disease, obesity, and age-related falling, to name a few. As we age and lose lean muscle mass, balance and agility often go with it. Our tendency to fall increases and the injuries sustained from those falls can be detrimental to our overall health and quality of life.

Fracture’s caused by falling is higher in elderly women than men. Despite the fact that women can greatly benefit from resistance training, the number of women who lift regularly is still low. Fortunately for women, joining the ranks of the bench press/deadlift brigade isn’t necessary for results to come. In an all-women study involving 20 women over the age of 50, the subjects spent 12 weeks using bands as the chosen form of resistance training (as opposed to dumbbells or seated machines) and saw increases in strength. Also worth noting, none of the participants reported injuries. That’s important information for those who are worried that exercise may be too strenuous for their body.

It’s never too late to start lifting

Frankly, the numbers are pretty bleak. A shockingly low 6% of adults in the United States engage in resistance training or any type of weight training at least twice a week, the minimum criteria set forth in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008 Guidelines) and by the American College of Sports Medicine.

No doubt, misconceptions that weight training exercises have an age limit plays a large role. Part of the beauty of the benefits received from lifting weights, whether they be dumbbells, bodyweight exercises, bands, machines or otherwise, is that you don’t have to be young to reap the benefits.

You don’t have to train at a high-intensity. You don’t have to be a beacon of health. It seems odd that we still have to clarify this, but it’s important to reiterate that both men and women can benefit from lifting weights.

For older adults interested in increasing their energy levels and decreasing their body fat, look to resistance training. A study published in Sports Medicine on the effects of strength training on the elderly stated,

Resistance training in older adults also increases power, reduces the difficulty of performing daily tasks, enhances energy expenditure and body composition, and promotes participation in spontaneous physical activity.

In light of this information, take comfort in knowing that it’s never too late in life to start lifting.

Enjoying Your Golden Years 

Strength comes in many forms. And it comes from wisdom and experience, both gained over a lifetime. And today, we know that benefits from resistance exercises go beyond just physical appearance. Let’s consciously decide to look forward to our golden years and promise ourselves something as simple as supporting our own body weight won’t be a significant challenge. As a popular saying goes, “Working out is hard, but living life without muscles is harder.” Don’t believe that it’s too late after years of inactivity. Anyone can get on the cable machine and start lifting to improve their life because strength training has no age limit.  

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Hilary Fosdal is an ACE certified personal trainer. She also does a lot of heavy lifting at redphonestudio.com, a web design and digital marketing company that helps health practitioners improve their professional identity.

Editor’s Note: This post was updated on August 1, 2018, for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It was originally published on November 2, 2016.

We all know injuries can happen in the gym—but how many times have you heard someone say they injured their back carrying groceries? Or tweaked their knee walking up the stairs? Injuries from routines activities happen more often than people would like to admit.

That’s why functional strength training is such a hot topic these days.

Functional strength training is defined as: “Training that attempts to mimic the specific physiological demands of real-life activities.”

Functional training such as resistance exercises and body weight movements can help you become stronger, more flexible, agiler and better equipped to handle day-to-day feats of strength and athleticism that are often overlooked. Plus, it can help you become less injury-prone.

Still not convinced?

Here’s a scary stat: your muscle mass and strength will decrease 30 to 50% between the ages of 30 and 80. That means the average person starts losing the ability to perform everyday functions as soon as they hit middle-age. Despite this, only 6% of adults do resistance training workouts two or more times per week (the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation).

A common misconception is that you may be too old for strength training. But clinical data from a multitude of sources clearly shows the benefits of improving one’s functional fitness level, particularly for older adults.

Let’s dig into what the current research says.

It’s never too late to get started

Functional strength training is something all adults could really benefit from, and it’s never too late to reap the benefits.

A study of 87 adults aged 65-93 years published in the American Journal of Health Promotion showed that functional ability improved for functionally limited elderly people who participated in a 16-week structured exercise program consisting of thirteen different strength training exercises using a Thera-Band resistance band.

In another study, researchers tested the effects of 12 weeks of resistance training on the isometric strength, explosive power, and selected functional abilities of healthy women aged 75 and over, they saw statistically significant improvements in 4 out of 5 exercises measured.

The science is clear: functional strength training is something everyone can benefit from. Unfortunately, most aren’t doing it.

A common question is that in order to build functional strength, do you have to start benching, squatting, and deadlifting heavyweights? Not if you don’t want to, and for some, that might even a barrier to even getting started. That’s why we listed several exercises that don’t require weights to help you get started.

How to build real functional strength

There are several exercises you can do to improve your functional strength. Functional training expert Michael Boyle says in his book New Functional Training for Sports that it’s a good idea to focus on functional “stability training” that targets three specific areas:

1. Deep abdominals (transversus abdominis and internal oblique)

2. Hip abductors and rotators

3. Scapula stabilizers

Here’s a good list of exercises that work one or more of these areas you can incorporate into your workout routine every week.

Pushup to arm and hip raise

Muscle groups worked: Pectoralis major/minor, rectus abdominus, obliques, deep abdominals, hip abductors and rotators, scapula stabilizers

Perform a normal pushup. When you reach the top of the movement, lift one of your arms up, turn your shoulder, and reach your arm up to the sky. Then lift your outside leg up as high as you can, holding for up to 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do 6-10 repetitions on each side. This exercise builds shoulder, arm, and hip strength, engages your core and ab muscles, and improves flexibility in your shoulders, back, and hips.

Want more push up variations? Click here.

Bodyweight squat

Muscle groups worked: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, deep abdominals, hip abductors and rotators

One of the best strength exercises for building all-around functional lower body strength is the mighty squat. Squats work nearly every muscle in your legs, while also building the necessary core strength to help you with day-to-day movements involving pushing, pulling and lifting.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to load a barbell full of heavyweights on your back to reap the benefits of this exercise. Using your own body weight is a great workout, and you can do several variations once you start building strength.

Focus on strict form for maximum effectiveness: feet shoulder width apart, bend at the hips and don’t let your knees go past your toes, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Here’s a video on how you can build up to a squat.

If you are looking to challenge yourself, try lunges.

Inverted row

Muscle groups worked: Back muscles, Biceps, deep abdominals, scapula stabilizers

This workout effectively targets your back muscles, spine and scapula stabilizers, and arms, making it easier to do every-day activities that include any type of pulling motion (lifting things off the ground, starting a lawn mower, etc.).

To do it, lie down flat on your back and grab a stable barbell or set of straps above you. Pull your upper body up as high as you can while keeping your back straight. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top. Complete as many repetitions as possible.

Here’s a quick video that shows how to do it.

Once you build enough strength and endurance, you can try a pullup.

Exercise ball hamstring curl

Muscle groups worked: Hamstrings, glutes, deep abdominals, hip abductors and rotators

Eccentric exercises like the hamstring curl are one of the most effective ways to build functional strength and endurance in your hamstrings and hips, and prevent injuries down the road.

To do this workout, lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your legs up so the bottom of your feet are resting atop an exercise ball. Roll your legs out until they’re straight, hold the position for a second or two, then return to the top of the movement while squeezing your hamstrings.

Working these muscles will help make any squatting, lunging, or bending motions easier.

Watch this video for a complete breakdown.

Exercise ball rollout

Muscle groups worked: deep abdominals, quadriceps, pectoralis major/minor, scapula stabilizers, deltoids, hip abductors

Exercise ball pikes are an advanced total body workout. They work your chest, shoulders, core, and legs. To do this exercise, start in a pushup position with your arms on the floor in front of you. Lift your legs so the tops of your feet rest on the exercise ball. Your knees should be bent to start the movement. Now extend your legs out as straight as you can. Hold the movement for a couple seconds, then return to the starting position.

Here’s a quick video on how to do the workout.

Band Lateral Raise

Muscle groups worked: lateral deltoid, anterior deltoid, serratus anterior

The band lateral raise is a great workout for your shoulders.  

Grasp one band in one hand and step on the free end with the opposite foot (Right hand and left foot and vice versa). Slowly extend and raise your arm until they are parallel to the floor. Lower the arms in the same manner that your raised it.

Click here to watch how to do it.

If your shoulders are healthy enough, try adding dumbbells or kettlebells to increase the resistance.

The Final Verdict

Functional strength training is a proven way to slow down the effects of age-related muscle atrophy and decrease your risk for injury. Try doing several of the exercises noted above to work the important stabilizer muscles in your core/deep abdominals, shoulders, and hips.

By adding just 2-3 days of functional strength exercises a week, you should see improvements in your ability to perform your everyday activities and maybe even fat loss! That’s quite a return on a very small time investment.

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Scott Christ is a health and wellness entrepreneur, writer, and website strategy consultant. He’s also the creator of the world’s healthiest plant-based protein powder.

Editor’s Note: This post was updated on July 25, 2018, for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It was originally published on December 15, 2016.

Ask 100 women this year what their New Year’s resolution will be and half will likely answer “weight loss” in to look fitter and more toned. Many of these women will join a gym (or actually start using their membership) and center their workout around high-intensity sessions on the treadmill, elliptical, or any other cardio machine.  Running on the treadmill 4 days a week may help you lose body fat, but without adding on muscle, it won’t give you that tight, toned look.

Strength training by utilizing some form of resistance is a much better approach than focusing only on cardio if your goal is to achieve a toned, healthy physique, and there’s a lot of science to support it. Research shows that adding resistance training as part of your workout routine is a proven method for increasing Lean Body Mass and reducing body fat for women.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about strength training. We’ll separate fact from fiction, look at additional benefits of resistance training, learn how much training you need. In the end, we hope to encourage some of you who are on the fence about strength training to get on board and start experiencing its many benefits.

Three Myths About Why Women Should Avoid Strength Training

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about strength training. They encourage many women to disregard or dismiss any training involving weights or resistance. Let’s dispel three common myths and put them to rest.

Myth #1: Weightlifting causes women to “look bulky”

Let’s get this one out of the way straight out of the gate.

Many women associate resistance training as bad and something only men should do because they believe it leads to weight gain and a “bulky look.”

Here’s the truth about strength training: yes, it may cause you to gain weight. In fact, you can probably count on it. But that’s perfectly okay, and here’s why: if the gains you experience are gains in Lean Body Mass, this means your weight can stay the same, or even increase, but you will look more lean and toned.

Muscle is denser than fat, meaning it takes up less space on your body. By losing fat and gaining muscle, you can stay the same weight – or even gain some – but actually be slimmer than you were before. Think of weight training as an investment that pays serious dividends down the road. The more muscle you have, the more calories (and fat) your body can burn over time.

“Healthy” is not a number on the scale—it’s how you look and feel.

So don’t think in terms of what you want to lose and focus more on what you want to gain, both physically and emotionally.

Please, etch this thought deep into your brain: as long as you’re noticing positive changes in how you look and feel, that arbitrary number on the scale doesn’t make a bit of difference. In fact, it’s likely to lead you astray.

Myth #2: Lifting huge and heavy is required

When you take a look around the gym and at the people who are lean and muscular, you often see them – especially the men – squatting what looks like an unbelievable amount of weight: 2, 3, even 4 plates on each side of the barbell. That can be intimidating.

Good news: first of all, lifting heavy with low reps is just one style of strength training, and secondly, if you’re just trying to tone up and have no desire to look like a bodybuilder, it’s not necessary.

A study on women found that regardless of what the training style was – heavy lifting with low reps or low weights with high reps – strength and muscle gains occurred.

This means you don’t have to deadlift 2x your bodyweight or curl dumbbells the size of your head in order to reap benefits. Strength training at whatever level you’re comfortable with yields positive results, and if an attractive, toned look motivates you, you will be able to work towards that goal with low/moderate resistance exercise.

Myth #3: You can be too old to weight training

“Sarcopenia” is the gradual loss of muscle mass that begins for most women after age 35.

Contrary to popular belief, this decline in muscle mass and strength is not a result of the aging process; rather, it’s due to inactivity.

However, current dogma around resistance training among elderly women has been a barrier. Researchers Stuart Phillips and Richard Winett wrote:

Few would argue that some form of resistance training should not be part of a complete exercise program; however, the bulk of literature on the cardio-protective effects of aerobic exercise has continued to make this form of exercise preeminent and the central focus of many physical activity guidelines in Canada, the United States, and many other countries.

If you’re an older adult, you don’t need to fall for the “adults shouldn’t lift” myth.

Studies show that resistance training is the best way to prevent and reverse loss of muscle for older adults. For women, in particular, resistance training is an effective long-term strategy to preserve muscle and positive changes in body composition.

The science is clear: improving your muscle mass is something anyone can (and should) do.

Additional Benefits of Strength Training for Women

Aside from improving your body composition by increasing Lean Body Mass, there are several other benefits of strength training in addition to muscle growth and looking fitter.

Healthier Bones and Joints

Women who don’t exercise can lose anywhere from 3 to 8% of their muscle mass each decade as a result of inactivity. Studies show that doing strength training can promote bone development, reduce lower back pain, and reverse several skeletal muscle aging factors.

Strength training is not only good for your muscles, it can help ease the pain in your joints and keep your prevent bone loss.

Reduced anxiety

If you’re looking for a way to chill out and relieve some stress and anxiety, try lifting weights!

There’s a strong correlation between resistance training and stress reduction/anxiety. According to research, resistance training at a low-to-moderate intensity (<70% 1 repetition maximum)is best for reducing anxiety.

Improved body image

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of resistance training is that it can also help you feel better about yourself. According to one study, weight training is associated with “significant improvements in several dimensions of body image, health-related quality of life, and physical activity behaviors, satisfaction, and comfort.”

How Many Resistance Workouts Do You Need A Week?

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend 2 or more days per week of total body resistance workouts that work all major muscle groups alternating between the lower body (legs, hips, back, abdomen) and upper body (chest, shoulders, and arms) for all adults.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says adults over 65 should follow these same guidelines unless you have a chronic condition (heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes). In these cases, ask your doctor what types and amounts of activity are safe.

For postmenopausal women, researchers recommend doing resistance and weight bearing based workouts three days a week (on alternate days).

If you’re a newbie, start by adding one workout a week that uses resistance bands and light dumbbells and work your way up from there.

Ready for your turn?

Contrary to popular belief, the “tight and toned” look many women want is achieved by both a mix of cardio workouts and strength training.

Remember that how you frame your exercise goals is important. So stop thinking in terms of what you want to lose and focus more on what you want to gain (both physically and emotionally).

You can set better goals too: If you set a goal of gaining Lean Body Mass instead of losing weight, you’ll be able to measure the results of your resistance training efforts in terms of lean mass gained instead of pounds lost, which can be quite empowering because it relieves you from caring about what the scale says about your body weight.

So where do you start … or how do you improve your current resistance training efforts? Setting body composition goals is a good place to start. Once you’ve done that, work with a certified personal trainer at a local fitness center to show you how to perform resistance training exercises, like the dumbbell squat variations, with proper form.

Make functional strength training a part of your lifestyle, and you will experience noticeable results to how you look and feel.

If you’re a woman who hasn’t tried strength training or aren’t getting the results you wanted from her workouts, now’s the perfect time to jump on the bandwagon, or rather, pick up the dumbbells.

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Scott Christ is a health and wellness entrepreneur, writer, and website strategy consultant. He’s also the creator of the world’s healthiest plant-based protein powder