In recent years, strength training and longevity has become an incredibly popular topic. As a 35-year old personal trainer, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t on my mind. I’m reaching a stage of my life where training becomes an investment for the future, and I have to take my longevity seriously.
Longevity in training refers to our ability to offset mortality risks as we age, ostensibly allowing us to live longer. I would also argue that the current usage of the term goes further. When people talk about using strength training and longevity, they’re often also talking about improving quality of life at older ages. Our ability to retain our movement capabilities, perform tasks, and avoid injuries are a huge appeal of the longevity training movement. These are the pillars of a healthier later life.
Unfortunately, as with many fitness topics, the concept of longevity has been co-opted to promote any number of “life hacks,” snake oil supplements, and training regimes. The fear of old age and ill health is a strong motivator that can be harnessed to manipulate people into making bad decisions. That’s why I want to simplify the topic and discuss how we can use strength training to improve longevity.
Proceed With Caution When Learning About Strength Training and Longevity
With any popular fitness topic, you have to be on your guard. In the fitness world, there are plenty of content creators making lazy correlations, click-bait titles, and sponsored adverts to get your attention. These will often waste your time and money without providing any real value.
With my content, I’ve aimed to de-sensationalise the topic and refer to only well-established research. I have provided sources for my claims and provided nuanced discussion. This allowed me to focus on:
- What training methods will actually improve bone density;
- How well grip strength correlates with mortality;
- Whether or not your metabolism changes significantly as you age;
- How you can manage all of these age-related changes.
If these questions are important to you, you can find the video below.
Video: 4 Thoughts on Strength Training and Longevity
Getting Fitter as You Age
I have clients who have continued to set personal bests in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Stereotypes would have you believe that these are the years where you should be experiencing the greatest decline, but this doesn’t have upend your whole life. Your life is not over at 39. You can read more of my testimonials here. If you’re in the Liverpool Street area and are looking to invest in your future, you can get in touch below. Feel free to send me any questions you may have, or enquire about a free consultation.