Not to be the bearer of bad news, but by the age of 30, we start losing between 3% and 8% of muscle mass. Worse, the percentages increase per decade. After age 60, the loss can reach up to 15%.
The good news? Strength training can mitigate the negative effects. According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, evidence suggests “that just like heart-pumping aerobic exercise, strength training also may help older adults live longer,” Harvard Health notes.
Even better, you needn’t pump iron to receive the benefits: body weight exercises are also an accessible and effective way to gain muscle mass and prevent its loss. And, when it comes to body weight exercises, there’s one in particular that experts recommend: Squats.
“Squats and strength exercises from the age of 50 are key,” confirms David Ramirez, director at Viding Castellana in Madrid. “They help us to maintain mobility in the hips, knees, and ankles; to gain strength in the glutes, quadriceps, and core; and to ward off the onset of diseases such as osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.”
Longevity and strength training
The benefits of strength training go beyond strong muscles. While we tend to associate longevity with healthy habits such as following a nutritious diet and sleeping well, maintaining muscle strength is also one of the best predictors of life expectancy. Studies have found that muscle weakness—especially in the legs—is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and a loss of independence.
“Muscle is a metabolically active tissue; it produces energy and helps cell synthesis,” Ramirez explains. “Therefore, the greater your strength, the greater the ability to remain autonomous and active.” Not to mention: “Strength is also a cardiovascular exercise. We shouldn’t limit our heart care to classic ‘cardio,’ because lifting weights also supports the heart.”
Squats for health
Squats activate everything, from the large muscle groups to the cardiovascular, neuromotor, and skeletal systems. In addition to improving posture and joint mobility, they help prevent age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), strengthen bones, improve balance, reduce the risk of falls, and even increase insulin sensitivity.
But there’s no reason to not wait until the age of 50 to start strength training: “If we start in childhood or youth, we get a more solid musculoskeletal formation and a strength base that will protect us all our lives,” Ramirez notes.
Take the findings from the famous “sit-to-stand test” (SRT), which was published in 2012: Those who “passed” the test with ease were found to have a significantly lower risk of dying in the following years. “We can’t know the exact years of life a person has, but people with a low score tend to have a shorter life expectancy,” Ramirez notes. “By practicing squats, you work on very similar movement patterns and strengthen the physical abilities involved: mobility, balance and strength.”
How to start strength training
If you’ve never done strength training and are intimated by idea, don’t be—strength training is for everyone, and it’s never too late to start. “It’s not about lifting 200 pounds,” assures Ramirez. “My recommendation is to start low with guided analytical exercises—for example, using the weight machines at the gym—and progress from there.”
Of course, technique matters. If you haven’t exercised in a while or are working with injuries, it’s smart to work with a professional trainer who can provide modifications and monitor your form. (Even those who are fitness veterans can benefit from a check-in with a pro.)
Once you master the proper technique, you can work with your own body weight or with free weights. The key is to progress slowly and safely, increasing reps or speed to improve strength and power, another ability that decreases with age and is important for the prevention of serious falls and fractures.
Key exercises after 50
In addition to squats, Ramirez recommends training your body with a variety of exercises. Some essential moves include:
- Deadlifts—strengthens the posterior chain and teaches how to lift weights from the floor without damaging the back.
- Shoulder presses—improves shoulder thrust and stability.
- Rows with a barbell—corrects posture, strengthens the back, and prevents kyphosis (dowager’s hump).
- Grip exercises—hanging from a bar or carrying weight improves overall strength and cardiac health.
- Unilateral exercises—moving one side of the body at a time improves balance.
- Push-ups and sit-ups—these weight-bearing exercises are accessible and very functional.
- Jumps—improves foot strength, power, and stability
Will doing squats help me live longer?
While there are no guarantees that doing squats will help you live to be 100, they will certainly help you live with more strength, power, mobility, and independence. Maintaining muscle strength after 50 is a way of shielding yourself from diseases linked to aging—including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and osteoporosis. Within the range of available exercises, squats can be a powerful tool. Living longer may be the goal, but living well is the priority.
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