How Resistance Training Preserves Independence as You Age
“Sitting down and standing up from a chair is a squat. Picking up a laundry basket is a deadlift.”
Why Resistance Training Deserves a Place in Your Week
Movement is medicine. Whether it’s walking, mobility work, hiking, or dancing, you should be moving your body often. But if we’re talking about preserving independence as you age, resistance training needs to be in the mix.
You don’t need to lift heavy weights or push your body to the max. But you do need to challenge your muscles in a meaningful way. That means:
- Learning how to squat and stand with control
- Picking up things safely
- Building the strength to support your joints, posture, and balance
- And being able to keep doing those things next year, and ten years from now
Resistance training is simply purposeful movement that challenges your body to adapt. It doesn’t have to be intimidating and it doesn’t mean you’re trying to look like a bodybuilder. It means you’re investing in your body’s future function.
What Independence Really Looks Like
It’s not just about avoiding the ol’ walker or cane.
It’s about:
- Climbing stairs without holding your breath
- Standing up from a low couch without needing help
- Carrying a grocery bag with one hand while opening the car door with the other
- Feeling confident your body can handle the day
Some of the first signs of declining strength we see in our clients:
- Struggling to rise from a chair without momentum
- Avoiding stairs due to knee pain or fatigue
- Difficulty walking for more than 10–15 minutes
- Reduced grip strength (dropping items or avoiding jars)
The good news? Lifting addresses all of these.
“Won’t Lifting Hurt My Joints?”
This is one of the most common concerns we hear, especially from adults over 50. And we get it. The idea of lifting weights can feel intimidating or risky if you already deal with stiffness or joint discomfort.
But here’s the truth:
- Pain often stems from doing too little, not from lifting
- Consistent, intelligent strength training can improve joint health
- Yes, you may feel achy at first but soreness fades as your body adapts
We don’t throw heavy weights at new clients. We teach them how to move well first. And with proper form and progression, strength training becomes the solution, not the cause of pain.
How Much Strength Training Do You Really Need?
The good news is: you don’t need to spend hours in the gym or lift like a powerlifter. But you do need to be intentional, consistent, and cover the right patterns.
Here’s what the research and real-world practice suggest:
Weekly Time Commitment
- 2–3 sessions per week is the gold standard for maintaining and improving strength as you age
- Each session should be about 30–45 minutes, including warm-up and cooldown
- That adds up to just 90–135 minutes per week
That’s less than 2.5% of your total week that is dedicated to keeping your body strong, mobile, and pain-resilient.
Key Lifting Patterns (You Only Need a Few)
Focus on 5–6 fundamental movements that cover full-body strength:
| Movement | Real-Life Example | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (bodyweight or goblet) | Standing up from chair/toilet | 2–3x/week |
| Hinge (deadlift or hip bridge) | Picking up laundry/groceries | 2x/week |
| Push (wall push-up or dumbbell press) | Opening heavy doors | 2–3x/week |
| Pull (banded rows or lat pulldown) | Carrying bags or lifting kids | 2x/week |
| Carry/Core (farmer carries, planks) | Stability, posture, balance | 2–3x/week |
| Step/Lunge (assisted or bodyweight) | Climbing stairs or getting off floor | 1–2x/week |
You can hit all of these in just 2 full-body workouts per week or spread them across 3 shorter sessions. Sets, Reps & Load Guidelines
- 2–3 sets per movement
- 8–15 reps depending on your ability and load
- Use a weight that feels like a 7–8 out of 10 effort (challenging but not max effort)
- Rest: 30–90 seconds between sets
Why This Matters
Consistent resistance training has been shown to:
- Improve grip strength, which predicts long-term health outcomes. (PMID: 31631989)
- Improve stair-climbing speed. (PMID: 38021217)
- Support bone density in the hips, spine, and legs. (PMID: 30671455)
You don’t need fancy machines or hours of free time but rather you need the right plan, applied consistently, in a way your body can handle.
You’re Not Too Old. You’re Not Too Out of Shape.
We hear it all the time:
- “I don’t want to get hurt.”
- “I’m too tired all the time.”
- “I’ve never lifted weights before.”
- “I’ve got arthritis / knee pain / an old injury.”
- “I’m not trying to get jacked, so what’s the point?”
But here’s the thing: You’re not too old. You’re not too broken. You’re not too out of shape.
What most people are? They are out of practice, out of confidence, and out of movement
And that’s what we work on, gradually, consistently, and with a plan that actually fits your life and your body. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start showing up for yourself.
There are documented benefits of strength training well into your 70s and 80s, including improvements in balance, walking speed, reaction time, and even mental health. Many studies have shown that older adults, even those who’ve never trained before, can improve strength, reduce pain, and regain function with the right guidance.
And no, we’re not throwing you under a barbell.
You don’t need to move perfectly. You just need to move intentionally.
Real talk:
- The longer you wait, the harder it becomes. It doesn’t become impossible but it will get harder.
- Every year you skip strength training is a year where strength, balance, and bone density quietly decline.
- But every week you train with purpose, you slow or even reverse those effects.
Whether you’re 28 or 78, the best time to start training was yesterday.
But the next best time? Right now.
Want to Stay Independent for the Long Haul?
You don’t need to train like a pro. You just need:
- A smart, achievable plan
- 2–3 weekly strength workouts
- A coach focused on your goals (and joint health)
At Pure Function Fitness in Woodland Hills, we specialize in functional strength training for adults 40+. We focus on independence, mobility, and quality of life. Ready to begin?
Book your free session today and let’s build a plan that supports your life and your strength, your way.
References
- Benedetti, M. G., Furlini, G., Zati, A., & Letizia Mauro, G. (2018). The Effectiveness of Physical Exercise on Bone Density in Osteoporotic Patients. BioMed research international, 2018, 4840531. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4840531
- Bohannon R. W. (2019). Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clinical interventions in aging, 14, 1681–1691. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S194543
- Ghosal, A. M., & Chandrasekaran, B. (2023). Stair-climbing interventions on cardio-metabolic outcomes in adults: A scoping review. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 19(1), 136–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2023.10.003