Are you a woman getting older and worried about your future health? Then start lifting weights: work up to heavy loads, not just staying with tiny dumbbells.
The older women you don’t see in the gym these days were once the young women who thought lifting weights was either too masculine, too silly, too difficult or too expensive.
Many are now paying a stiff price: stiff painful joints, feeling tired and weak most days, not feeling capable or strong, depending on others to carry things for them, feeling vulnerable in a weak body — and in a large number of cases, a lot of excess body fat.
Low muscle tone is also a prime risk factor for chronic illness and weak immune function, loss of speed and good mobility, and long-term low back pain.
A large study led by researchers at the University at Buffalo found that older women with greater strength had a significantly lower risk of death, even after accounting for physical activity levels, cardiovascular fitness and inflammation.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, were based on more than 5,000 women between 63 and 99.
Researchers tracked participants for eight years and discovered that women with stronger grip strength and faster sit-to-stand chair test times were more likely to live longer.
The study focused on two simple measures commonly used in medical settings to evaluate strength in older adults: grip strength and chair stands.
For the chair stand test, participants completed five unassisted sit-to-stand movements as quickly as possible.
Women who performed better on these tests had notably lower mortality rates during the follow-up period.
Researchers found that every additional 7 kilograms of grip strength was associated with an average 12% reduction in death risk.
Faster chair stand performance was also linked to improved survival, with a 4% lower mortality rate for every six-second improvement from the slowest to the fastest times.
These results remained significant even after researchers adjusted for physical activity and sedentary behavior using accelerometer data, gait speed (an indicator of cardiovascular fitness) and levels of C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation associated with muscle decline and premature death.
Get Strong, Doggone!
The paper mentions that difficulty effectively rising from a chair is tied to difficulty sustaining aerobic exercise.
Healthy aging can be pursued through both aerobic and strength training routines.
You’re in big trouble, says the study, if you’ve already reached a point where getting up from a chair or out of your car is challenging or doesn’t feel easy.
Ask yourself if you normally get up in a lethargic or fatigued way, or, if you bounce up quickly. From this point forward, spring up, regardless of type of seat.
The study is the largest thus far, as of 2026, to examine how muscle strength relates to longevity in women over 60.
Researchers also found that body size did not explain the relationship between strength and longevity.
This means that more muscle strength even in heavier women meant lower risk of an early death.
One of the study’s most notable findings was that women who did not meet current physical activity recommendations still benefited from greater muscle strength.
Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity each week.
Simple Ways Older Adults Can Build Strength
Muscle building activities do not necessarily require expensive gym equipment or intense workouts.
Below is a modified pushup; pressing against an elevated surface makes this exercise more doable for beginners.
Freepik
However, you should not assume that small dumbbells or tension bands are not affordable.
These days, many different kinds of resistance devices are sold at affordable prices online.
You can even get dumbbells for very cheap at thrift stores.
Gym memberships don’t have to be outside your budget. Many gyms also offer senior discounts. Freepik
