Is It Safe to Lift Weights After 50? What Every Woman Needs to Know

Proven benefits of strength training for women over 50—from improving bone density and muscle mass to reducing anxiety.

Woman lifting weights

What are the benefits for women over 50 to start a weight training program? Are there any inherent risks that you should know before signing up? Here’s the thing, anytime a woman decides to take on resistance training, it is a great thing, including for those women over age 50. While bone density loss begins in a woman’s early 30s and muscle mass begins to deplete in her 40s, this does not mean it is too late for her to start lifting weights.

Before you simply Google search “certified personal trainer near me” or “best personal trainer”, and hire the very first trainer you see, it’s always important to know about the unique nuances that may affect you in your fitness journey. Strength training can not only benefit you with muscular size and strength, but it can also improve the strength of your tendons and ligaments, help to increase your independence and mobility, improve bone health, and even reduce levels of depression and anxiety. If you’re a woman over 50, or even just one who has not yet reached her 50th birthday, here are a few good reasons why you might want to take on a strength training program and start today!

Bone Health

How does strength training benefit a woman over 50, particularly one who has no or little experience in the weight room? More than you think. While we all know that it sucks to age, and one of the most troubling aspects particular to women is the loss of bone density. Your bones are the strongest between ages 18-30, and after that, they become weaker, little by little each year. On the plus side, while aging is inevitably going to decrease bone mass, lifting weights can slow down the bone loss process, and possibly even increase bone density.

When a woman over 50 begins a weight lifting program, important signals are sent that help to increase bone strength. As you are consistently lifting weights, your body recognizes that it needs to increase strength in its infrastructure, such as the bones, because it wants to ensure that it doesn’t collapse under the weight. Among the reasons physical therapy involves resistance training for patients recovering from injuries is directly related to the strengthening of the body's infrastructure.

Muscle Mass

Does strength training really help women over 50? Of course! After age 40, muscle mass begins to deplete at a rate of 0.5% loss per year, then 1-2% per year after age 50. Granted that after age 50, a woman is not going to be able to increase muscle size and strength at the same rate as a 20-year old, but it can be done. Inactivity accelerates the muscle loss rate, but it should please you to hear that strength training can help slow down and even reverse muscle loss. To optimize such benefits, the strength training must be done consistently for the long term.

What makes weight lifting so critical for women over 50, particularly for those who are total beginners? Muscle disuse and aversion of consistent exercise are among the main culprits behind muscle loss (other than injury and disease), thus losing muscular strength from muscle loss increases injury vulnerability in older women, as well as independence and quality of life. In fact, a simple fall can easily lead to debilitating injuries that may even affect a woman’s ability to walk or result in death. In a 2009 study (Delmonico et. al, 2009), researchers discovered muscular strength is lost before muscle mass depletes for aging persons, and fat accumulation within muscle increases. Therefore, especially after age 50, these issues may worsen each year if a woman doesn’t turn things around and start lifting weights.

Risks After Menopause?

How does menopause affect a woman’s strength training? While menopause may negatively impact muscle mass and strength, and increase fat mass in women, the good news is that strength training and increasing protein consumption may be able to slow down muscular atrophy and possibly increase muscle mass and strength (Ioannidou et. al, 2024). Should you start lifting weights, it’s always a good idea to begin with light weights and easy to learn exercises, ideally, under the supervision of a certified personal trainer with experience in training women like you.

Benefits Beyond Muscle Strength and Size

Along with the muscle maintenance benefits from resistance training, there is also evidence that strength training may help to reduce depression and anxiety in women over 50. In a pilot study published in 2022 (Cunha et. al, 2022), subjects that were tasked to participate in a resistance training program had demonstrated decreased inflammation and increased cognition. The study also noted that the social aspect of resistance training in a public setting, such as a gym, also decreased feelings of loneliness as a result of the increased socialization, all while improving a woman's confidence.

What precautions should women over 50 take when starting a weight lifting program? When a woman over 50 is beginning a resistance training program, she must be cautious and aware that the years of inactivity prior to getting to the gym may increase chances of injury if the intensity is too high. In addition to muscle loss, women must consider the possibility of weakened tendons and ligaments, which is why a steady progression of increasing weight and repetition counts is suggested. In my personal training experience with individuals over 50, 60, and 70, we commonly begin with simple bodyweight exercise variations before we start using weights.

Unfortunately, the saying “Time is undefeated” is true, particularly when it comes to muscular size and strength for women over 50 and the years beyond that. The aging process is inevitably going to deteriorate neuromuscular functions, tensile strength in tendons and ligaments, and muscle size and strength. On the bright side, physiological adaptations including increasing mobility, flexibility, and, of course, strength can still occur for women over 50, and as these women age further, remaining consistent with a strength training program can prolong those benefits in comparison with individuals who live sedentary lifestyles (Fragala et. al, 2019).

Conclusion

As I said in the beginning, it is always a good time for any woman, above or below age 50 and with or without weightlifting experience, to take on a strength training program. When you have the simple act of consistently participating in a weight lifting program as a means to improve bone health, muscular size and strength, and mental health, while simultaneously reducing risk of injuries, some of which potentially being life-threatening. My honest advice is to work with a certified fitness trainer who is experienced in working with women over 50 with a verifiable level of education to enhance your training experience, along with giving you undivided attention to guide you in your strength training journey.

About the Author

Julio Lopez is a Navy Veteran, former collegiate athlete, and personal trainer with a Master’s degree in Nutrition. He is the founder of 365 Physique Personal Training and Nutrition, where he specializes in helping women in their 30s and 40s build a healthy lifestyle into their busy schedule. You can find Julio training his in-person clients at Versatile Fitness and sharing practical tips on social media.

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References

Cunha, P. M., Werneck, A. O., Nunes, J. P., Stubbs, B., Schuch, F. B., Kunevaliki, G., Zou, L., &

Cyrino, E. S. (2022). Resistance training reduces depressive and anxiety symptoms in

older women: a pilot study. Aging & Mental Health, 26(6), 1136–1142.

Delmonico, M. J., Harris, T. B., Visser, M., Park, S. W., Conroy, M. B., Velasquez-Mieyer, P., 

Boudreau, R., Manini, T. M., Nevitt, M., Newman, A. B., Goodpaster, B. H., & Health,

Aging, and Body (2009). Longitudinal study of muscle strength, quality, and adipose

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Fragala, M. S., Cadore, E. L., Dorgo, S., Izquierdo, M., Kraemer, W. J., Peterson, M. D., & Ryan,

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Ioannidou, P., Dóró, Z., Schalla, J., Wätjen, W., Diel, P., & Isenmann, E. (2024). Analysis of

combinatory effects of free weight resistance training and a high-protein diet on body

composition and strength capacity in postmenopausal women - A 12-week randomized

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