Think being strong is only for the young? Becoming weaker through the years is in fact a choice.

Our societies in the West have come to a major challenge as the demographics of the population turn to older and older. The number of young people in relation to older people is decreasing, meaning that society is getting old.

What has traditionally been the image of an old man? An old man, frail and with a hunched back, struggling to walk the streets of our cities and unable to perform many normal daily tasks. This idea is not anyone’s destiny, it is the effect of years of choices. We choose to be physically inactive, when we are not paid to do anything physically demanding. Our older generations do not fully understand the meaning of exercise for maintaining health, and for many becoming retired meaned a big reduction is daily activities.

We now know, that strength training for elderly is of great importance. Take some time to read about it. It extends lives and most of all, improves the quality of life that our elders have left. Most of the people reading gometal.com are in their prime lifting years, not thinking about some day being 70 or 90 years old. But someone near you, perhaps your parent or another relative is getting old and you are seeing the effects of inactivity in them. We should take responsibility as the younger generation to show our elders, that it is never too late to start getting stronger again. As long as your muscles can contract, you can get stronger.

A good instructor is essential for a senior lifter, as old age brings with it many challenges for gaining strength and muscle. Things need to be started with simple movements and safe technique. But we should encourage the elderly to see their potential. You can really get strong at any age! Don’t just sit on the light end of the dumbell rack doing shrugs with 2 kilos. Go try the deadlift. Learn to squat in some way, or do step ups to a platform with weights. Functional real movements will increase muscle mass, muscle strength and coordination. All this will translate to less hip bone injuries and expensive surgeries that cripple the healthcare system with it.

Here is a 75 year old man, after about two years of practicing with me, deadlifting 150 kilos with ease. If you have a parent that is not lifting, you need to tell them to get off the couch or face the concequences of weakness in old age! The price for staying on the couch is much more than the price of a gym membership.

Life takes a strong back, so deadlift!