‘Your muscles become less responsive to exercise with age,” says Professor Leigh Breen, an expert in skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism at Birmingham University. “It’s not as easy to gain muscle and strength as when you were younger.”
But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort. “The idea that exercise becomes pointless past a certain age is simply wrong,” he says. “Everyone responds to structured exercise. You may not build as much visible muscle, but strength, cardiovascular health, brain function and protection against non-transmittable disease all improve.”
Muscle mass and strength begin to decline from about the age of 40, compared with peak levels in your 20s. It’s thought the body’s responsiveness to training also starts to wane around then, but it is still possible to build muscle with the right strategy.
“With a few tweaks – more frequent sessions or increasing the number of sets in each workout – older adults can achieve results close to those of younger people,” Breen says. “Nutrition is also key. Adequate protein, plus carbs and healthy fats, fuel your exercise, accelerate your recovery and support how your body adapts.”
UK guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week for those aged 19 to 64, plus muscle-strengthening exercises, such as lifting weights, for all major muscle groups at least twice a week. This is vital not just for fitness, but for long-term health.
“Regular aerobic and resistance training cuts the risk of almost every noncommunicable disease – type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s,” Breen says.
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Can exercising still have a positive impact on your health, even if you’ve never picked up a weight? “Definitely,” he says. “People who’ve trained for years are better protected, but even late starters can dramatically reduce their disease risk in a short time.”
