Muscle is your retirement plan
From your thirties you slowly lose muscle. Training slows it down. It is never too late to start.
The slow leak
After about 30, most adults lose around three to eight percent of their muscle each decade. It speeds up after 60. One day the shopping is heavy and a fall is something to fear.
Training slows that down, at any age. People in their seventies, eighties and nineties get stronger in studies.
What muscle does for you
- With balance work, keeps you steady on your feet.
- Can ease back and joint pain for many people.
- Helps control blood sugar.
- Lets you keep doing the things you enjoy.
What to do
Lift something heavy, for you, two or three times a week. Eat enough protein. That is it.
Over 50 and new to this? Start with Strong and steady at 50+. Over 65? Stay steady at 65+. If you have a health condition, check with your doctor first.
Put it into practice: Strong and steady at 50+
Based on 6 sources
- How and why muscle shrinks as we ageReview · 2004 · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
- Older adults gain real strength from lifting weightsReview · 2010 · Ageing Research Reviews
- People in their 90s got much stronger with weight trainingStudy · 1990 · JAMA
- Muscle's central role in blood sugar and diabetesReview · 2009 · Diabetes Care
- Which exercise programmes prevent falls in older peopleReview · 2019 · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Expert advice on strength, balance and cardio for older adultsGuidance · 2025 · Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging
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