Benefits of Weightlifting for Older Adults

Weightlifting is often thought of as an activity reserved for the young and fit, but its benefits extend far beyond youth. Strength training can increase bone density, improve muscle mass, and help prevent injuries, making it valuable for people of all ages. Older adults aged 59-82 may benefit from weightlifting—also called resistance training—enjoying increased strength, better mobility, and enhanced overall health. Weight training may also offer a pathway to improved longevity.

Engaging in both resistance training and aerobic exercise offers a range of significant health benefits. Combined, they provide greater benefits than either exercise alone, in cardiovascular health, body composition, metabolic health, and overall functional capacity.

Prathiyankara Shailendra and colleagues examined the relationship between weight training, aerobic exercise, and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer in older adults. The researchers used data from those interviewed for the National Institutes of Health-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study in 2004 and 2005 as their baseline. This included 216,339 people with a mean age of 70 years. They monitored weight training, aerobic exercise, cardiovascular disease, and cancer among these participants every year until 2019. 

The figure above shows the combined effects of weight training and aerobic exercise in reducing cardiovascular mortality risks, comparing participants who did different amounts each week and taking into account age. As indicated by the lighter points on the graph, weight training among those who also did aerobic exercise lowered the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. However, weight training doesn’t significantly reduce mortality for those not doing any aerobic exercise.

Incorporating weight training into your routine, regardless of the duration of each session, may significantly reduce mortality from all causes, including cardiovascular- and cancer-related causes. This benefit is particularly strong for women. Combining weight training with any amount of aerobic exercise offers the greatest boost to longevity. Yet few adults, especially older ones, meet guidelines for muscle-strengthening exercises.