It’s been long known that having more muscle and being stronger leads to a healthier, more independent life.
A new editorial by the British Journal of Sports Medicine was published in 2024 that highlights just how important muscle is for your quality of life as you age.1
But one important thing that was brought up was the importance of starting and maintaining activity levels across various stages of life. So while starting when you can is vital, the earlier one starts the better. Think of it as getting a head start and gaining more of a muscular strength reserve earlier in life that can give a higher baseline to start from.
Not to mention, the earlier you start strength training, the more of a habit you build and the easier it is to maintain throughout life.
What Even is Strengthspan?
Strength training has been shown to have health benefits independent of other types of training (i.e. cardio), and that muscle strength is a powerful predictor of all-cause mortality.
These authors coined the term “strengthspan” which comprises: 1 repetition maximum, grip strength, and functional strength tests over a lifespan.
Basically, think of it as looking at muscular strength and physical function.
This editorial highlighted the importance of supporting strength training initiatives in the geriatric years, while still emphasizing the importance of starting in the pediatric years.
Beginning, Middle, & End of the Strengthspan
For youth, not only is lower muscle mass connected to lower levels of activity - sports participation, activity involvement, and less play - it is also linked to a higher likelihood of disability later in life.
Specifically, weaker children are more likely to experience musculoskeletal injury since their bodies aren’t as equipped to handle more strenuous demands. On top of that, there’s been shown to be a higher link between weaker children and higher rates of nervous system and psychiatric conditions.
Like what was mentioned before, kids who aren’t active tend to grow up to be adults who are inactive. This just continues this cycle which can lead to more health issues down the road.
So what should you do if you have kids and want them to be ready for their life ahead? You want to start them off with muscle strength activities that are at an appropriate level for them. This could be body weight exercises, certain sports, even playing tug-of-war with a group of friends. If you’d like more info, we have a whole article on Strength Training for Youths so check it out here!
Let’s talk about adults now.
Strength training can have a huge effect on slowing down biological decline as you age. It’s this decline that gets ya - usually in the form of serious disease or disability.
On top of that, it can help preserve the strength and muscle you already spent so much time and effort to build up. Why would you want to throw that away?!
By adding in strength training activities to your regular routine, you can basically stay at your peak strength for a lot longer, reduce your risk of injury by making your body more resilient, help keep you functionally independent, postpone age-related decline, and by helping stave off any illnesses or diseases.
Essentially, it increases your strengthspan.
For seniors, keeping up with strength training and preserving both muscle mass and strength levels is linked to healthier nervous system function and maintaining type II muscle fibers. These fibres are the ones responsible for powerful movements - think heavy lifts and fast movements.
As you can imagine, this is also important when it comes to everyday life. You have to be strong enough to get in and out of a chair without falling, or even fast enough to catch your step if you do trip over something!
Another big factor to consider, especially for women, is that inadequate strength-building activity is linked to higher rates of sarcopenia (low muscle mass), and osteoporosis (low bone mass).
Apart from other chronic health conditions, greater levels of strength in seniors is also tied to a lower risk of falls and fall-associated injuries.
Independence is another huge factor. Activities of daily living like getting dressed and bathing are so much easier when you have the strength and functional ability to do so.
So where do you start if you’re an adult or senior and don’t have any experience?
Well, the answer is pretty much the same as the answer above for youths. You want to start at an appropriate level for YOU. You also want to pick activities or exercises that you actually enjoy and will stick with.
We have lots of articles on how to start strength training, so just scroll to the bottom of this post to see some relevant ones, or go to our main blog page and scroll through!
Regardless of age, there are SO many benefits to adding strength training to your life. If you’re still not convinced, here are a few more markers that are improved with it: insulin sensitivity, diabetes, blood pressure, cognition, sleep, malnutrition, neuromuscular diseases, cardiovascular function, and most of all overall quality of life.
So focus on the strengthspan.
Build upon your strength and muscle throughout your life.
The earlier you start, the better.
The stronger and more muscle you have on your bones, the better.
The longer your strengthspan, the better.
To conclude, I think the authors of this editorial put it well: “Strengthspan-centred actions will add life to years and not just years to life.”
Final Thoughts
Building muscle is for everyone.
It’s for everyone who wants to stay sharp. It’s for everyone who wants to be able to do their day to day chores. It’s for everyone who wants to live an independent life.
If you’re looking to take charge of your present and future health, get in touch with us today. We’ll help set you up with a program that aims to build muscle and strength so you can maintain your freedom, independence, and health.
Remember, your health is priceless. Get strong, stay strong.
References
Faigenbaum, A. D., Garcia-Hermoso, A., MacDonald, J. P., Mortatti, A., & Rial Rebullido, T. (2024). Bridging the gap between strengthspan and lifespan. British journal of sports medicine, 58(14), 758–760. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108357
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