Is strength training the key to living longer?

Published November 2024 | 5 min read 
Expert contributors Dr Matt Corbin, Longevity Project Australia; Dr Cynthia Kroeger, clinical researcher at the Charles Perkins Centre at University of Sydney; Yves Silveira, exercise physiotherapist   
Words by Carrie Hutchinson

Want to live a long, full life? You’ll need healthy muscles. To maintain your muscle strength, add a little resistance training to your weekly routine.

Mention strength training and you may think of arms busting out of muscle tees and lifting huge barbells. But strength training – also known as resistance training or weight training – isn’t just for body builders and gym junkies. If you want to live longer, experts suggest adding it to your routine.  

Why? Well, from age 30, adults lose between 3% and 8% of muscle mass every decade, explains Dr Matt Corbin of Longevity Project Australia. We also lose muscle strength faster and muscle power (a combination of speed and strength) even faster again. 

“The government’s physical activity guidelines recommend at least two strength-focused sessions per week,” he says. “Only 26% of Australians are hitting this mark, which means that of the remaining 74% of the population, the ones over 30 are going backwards.” 

Sedentary people also run the risk of accelerated muscle loss, called sarcopenia. “Sarcopenia is to our muscles what osteoporosis is to our bones,” says Dr Corbin. “It’s associated with a 3.6 times higher risk of falls and a 4.5 times higher risk of experiencing some level of functional impairment during daily life for older adults.”

What is strength training? 

Strength training (also known as resistance training) is any activity that requires your muscles to work against a weight or force.  

Using weights or weight machines at the gym counts, of course. You can also undertake a series of movements that use your own body weight or incorporate resistance bands or small weights into a routine. As you get stronger, you need to add weight or make the moves harder. 

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology evaluated the difference in the effects of different kinds of physical activity on men and women. Its findings showed how important strength training can be for our overall health. Of the study’s 400,000 participants, only one in five women did regular weight training.  

“What surprised us the most was the fact that women who do muscle strengthening had a reduction in their cardiovascular mortality by 30%,” study author Martha Gulati, director of preventative cardiology at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told NPR. “We don't have many things that reduce mortality in that way.” 

Men naturally have a higher muscle mass than women, but they should also include strength training as part of their exercise routine to maintain it as they age.

Why is strength training so important for longevity?

“Muscle mass is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth,” says Dr Corbin.  

“Cardiovascular fitness can improve our lifespan and extend our years, but resistance training and muscle strength make those additional years worth living.”  

It’s also important to build muscle mass evenly throughout the body to support us as we age, says clinical researcher Dr Cynthia Kroeger, who studies healthy longevity at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre. 

“When we have strong muscles in some places and weak muscles in others, we start to overcompensate in our posture, and this can cause chronic pain,” she says. 

She points out strength training also improves cellular turnover and increases the number of mitochondria (parts of a cell that generate energy) and blood vessels, so more oxygen is moving around the body and getting to cells. 

“From a longevity perspective, there’s less disease when there’s a higher turnover of cells,” she continues. “It also makes us more resilient to stress, so your body, at a cellular level, is much better prepared to deal with something like a car accident.” 

Strength training and chronic illness

In 2021, a study published in Science revealed age isn’t responsible for declining metabolism. What causes the slowing of our metabolism in our later years is a decrease in fat-free mass of which the biggest variable component is lean muscle mass.  

Dr Corbin says, “It’s not the metabolism that causes the changes in body composition, it’s the changes in body composition that contribute to a slower metabolism.” 

Building lean muscle mass, especially as you get older, will enable you to better control your weight and, with it, chronic illnesses, like heart disease and diabetes. 

If you have heart disease or diabetes, you can generally begin strength training. The COACH Program^® offers eligible members* with heart conditions or diabetes phone access to health professionals to help build a management plan that, when used in tandem with advice from a doctor, can improve your overall health and wellbeing and reduce your risk factors. 

Eligible members could also claim gym and exercise classes if prescribed by your healthcare professional. If your doctor or physiotherapist has recommended an exercise or gym program to treat a specific medical condition (like arthritis, hypertension, obesity, asthma, diabetes or osteoporosis) you may be able to claim towards the cost. 

To claim, ask your doctor or physiotherapist to confirm your condition on an Exercise and Gym Benefits Form. A physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can complete the form if you’re claiming for their class. Remember to submit a new form for each program. 

Reducing the risk of osteoporosis 

Bone strength, similar to muscle mass, also lessens as we get older, and this is especially true for women once they reach menopause.

“Our bones, just like muscle, respond and adapt to the loads we place on them,” says Dr Corbin. “Low-impact activities like cycling and swimming are great for improving cardiovascular fitness, but they don’t produce enough impact to stimulate bone growth.” 

Dr Corbin recommends including activities like walking and running into your regular routine as well.

“It’s also been shown that heavier strength training improves bone density, not to mention all the additional benefits of muscle mass, strength, power, agility and improved function,” he says.   

Getting started with strength training 

The good news is you can perform basic body-weight resistance exercises at home or in the park while out walking, says exercise physiotherapist Yves Silveira. 

“A solid 15 minutes with a bit of a warm-up then a cool-down at the end is all you need,” he says. “Doing three sets of 10 of each of these exercises is a good way to build or maintain muscle mass, but it does depend on the individual.” 

The top five strength-training exercises he recommends for working your body’s main muscle groups are below. 

Squats

Aim for: three sets of 10 reps
Why it’s good: Squats can help prevent injuries, strengthen your core and glute muscles (the muscles that make up your buttocks), and they can help improve your balance and posture.
How: Stand with your feet shoulder distance apart. Engage your core muscles and keep your back straight as you lower your body down by bending your knees and hips, as if you were about to sit into a chair and rise. Beginners can start by squatting into a chair. 

Lunges

Aim for: three sets of 10 reps 
Why it’s good: Lunges strengthen your back, hips and legs, and they can help improve mobility and balance. 
How: Start by standing up straight. Step ahead with one foot and lean forward until your front knee reaches a 90-degree angle and your rear knee is parallel to the ground. Then return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg. Use a chair or the wall for balance if needed. 

Calf raises

Aim for: three sets of 10 reps 
Why it’s good: Calf raises can improve your calf strength and stability, reduce the risk of ankle injuries and improve circulation to your limbs.  
How: Stand on a flat surface with your toes pointed straight ahead. Lift your heels off the floor to flex your calf muscle. Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the floor. Using a towel handrail can help with balance.    

Push-ups

Aim for: three sets of 10 reps 
Why it’s good: Push-ups work your whole body at once. They strengthen your upper body and give your core muscles a good workout.  
How: Kneel on the floor with your hands underneath your shoulders. Extend your legs and back to form a straight line, then lower yourself to the ground so your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Push yourself back up until your arms are straight. Beginners can start by doing push-ups against the wall then go on to push-ups on your knees.  

Box dip 

Aim for: three sets of 10 reps 
Why it’s good: Box dips build muscles across your chest, arms and shoulders, while also helping to improve stability and balance.  
How: Sit on a box (or bed, chair, wall) with your hands behind you supporting your weight with your arms. Shift off the edge, lowering your body and bending your arms until you feel a stretch across your chest and triceps. Push back up. To make this exercise easier, bend at the knees – the further your feet are from the bench or chair you’re using, the harder this exercise is.

If you’ve never exercised like this or you’re unsure about your fitness or if you have a pre-existing condition, speaking to your GP, then a physiotherapist or an exercise physiologist, is a crucial starting point, says Yves.  

“They can take a full history and understand how these exercises will impact your day-to-day life and any comorbidities you may have,” he says. “If you have other conditions, like a heart or lung condition, you should consult your doctor before getting into any exercise program.” 

Support for healthy joints 

Carrying extra weight can take its toll at any stage and age. That’s why we’ve partnered with Prima Health Solutions, to give eligible members free access to our Osteoarthritis Healthy Weight for Life program^{^} to help you improve your quality of life. This program helps members who want to reduce the pain in their joints improve their mobility or prepare for hip or knee surgery.