Strength training – also called resistance or weight training – significantly enhances quality of life and independence as we age. Yet it’s often overlooked by women, due to the fear that it will create muscle “bulk.”
Strength training can be done using body weight, machines, free weights, or resistance bands. Cardio exercises (like walking, running, and cycling) are also important, and a well-rounded workout should include both. However, resistance training offers several unique benefits that cardio doesn’t, says Germana Rovinelli, a fitness professional with over 40 years of experience and owner of Able Body Consulting in Nanaimo.
From age 45 onward, muscle loss accelerates by two to five pounds per decade. “Resistance training preserves muscle and strength, improving stability and preventing falls—a leading cause of injury and death for those over 65,” says Rovinelli.
Another key benefit, she explains, is that “strength training creates muscle symmetry or balance on both the left and right sides of the body. Symmetry ensures your body performs movements efficiently and helps overcome weaknesses and imbalances that lead to injuries.” She adds, “This balance can only be achieved through strength training. Activities like walking, spinning, or yoga can’t accomplish this.”
Strength training offers many documented benefits. It maintains bone density and stimulates bone growth, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Muscle mass cushions and protects bones, so if you do fall, you’re less likely to break something—and you’ll heal faster if you are injured. It may also help reduce arthritic pain. You’ll improve balance, coordination, and mobility—especially with lower-body exercises like squats and lunges. It also strengthens back, shoulder, and core muscles, helping to counteract age-related poor posture.
Increasing muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity, making your body more efficient at using and storing blood sugar. Improving your muscle-to-fat ratio also slows cellular ageing, stimulates the secretion of protective substances (called myokines) that regulate inflammation, and protects the lining of the arteries. All this can help reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, depression, and anxiety.
Having more—and stronger—muscles also supports the immune system by improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and promoting the production of immune cells. This helps reduce illness and supports long-term health.
Because muscle is highly active tissue, retaining as much of it as possible keeps your metabolism high, helping you maintain a healthy weight and energy levels. If your metabolism slows due to age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), you’ll feel weaker and more fatigued. Resistance exercise, however, can be just as energizing as that second cup of coffee.
Beyond the physical benefits, strength training improves mental well-being. It boosts mood-enhancing neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin, which help reduce depression and anxiety. Rovinelli says women who engage in strength training feel more confident, empowered, and ready to face life’s challenges.
She also notes that strength training is a workout for your brain: “It keeps those cortical pathways active.” These neural connections between brain and body are essential for fine motor skills, memory, learning, and the ability to focus and concentrate. Regular resistance training supports neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to maintain and form new neural connections.
Unfortunately, many women avoid weight training, fearing they’ll “bulk up.” But women naturally have lower testosterone levels, making significant muscle growth unlikely. Light to moderate weights will create muscle tone and definition—not bulk—Rovinelli assures. “Building large muscles requires heavy weights, intense training, high-calorie diets, and perhaps steroids! Gaining muscle is deliberate.”
For strength and endurance, she recommends lifting lighter weights with higher repetitions (10–15), while heavier weights with lower repetitions (6–10) help increase muscle size. Before starting a program, consult your doctor if you have any health concerns, and seek guidance from a fitness professional to learn proper technique.
When starting a strength training routine, Rovinelli advises patience: “Doing too much too soon can cause injuries and discourage you from continuing.” Beginners, she says, are in the “baby chick stage” for the first 12 weeks, as muscles strengthen more quickly than connective tissues like tendons and fascia. Strength training, she adds, isn’t a quick fix—it’s a slow, consistent process. It’s a lifestyle
Consistency is key. Aim for two or three 30-minute sessions per week. “Results are in the rest!” Rovinelli stresses. Recovery is critical; muscles repair and grow stronger only during rest periods. Allow at least 48 hours before training the same muscle group again.
“If you don’t use your muscles as you age, they atrophy,” Rovinelli warns. “That’s the beginning of the end—because you need muscular strength to do anything physical, even simple movements like getting out of a chair.” She believes that preserving independence and dignity should be a top priority as we age: “Look after your body, and your body looks after you. No pill from your doctor will cure the debilitating effects of muscle loss.”
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Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publication and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics.
