Experts say you're never too old to lift weights

BOSTON — How old is too old to lift weights? Experts say it's never too late to start pumping iron. 

As we age, our muscles lose mass, strength, and the ability to grow, putting us at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, frailty, and the loss of freedom. 

Lifting weights can help by promoting muscle growth and strength, yet only a fraction of people over 75 perform strength training at least twice a week.  

But sports medicine experts say you're never too old to start, even if you have arthritis, heart disease, dementia, or osteoporosis.  

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends people 65 and older train two to four times a week for 30 to 60 minutes which can improve walking speed, leg strength, and the ability to get out of a chair, all crucial for maintaining independence.  

Talk to your doctor about how to get started based on your underlying health and ability.

In:
• Exercise

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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