Weightlifting makes older women leaner, stronger and more mobile
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- Juezhen Zhang at the University of Taipei led the randomized trial of 32 postmenopausal women aged 52–84, assigning half to a strength-training program and half to maintain their usual lifestyles.
- Participants in the strength-training group attended two supervised deadlift sessions per week using hexagonal barbells, raising their max five-rep deadlift from an average of 45 to 58 kilograms over 24 weeks.
- The trained women shed abdominal fat and gained lean muscle around their middles while losing fat from thighs and buttocks; they also wobbled less standing with eyes closed and walked farther in a 6-minute test.
- The control group showed no improvements in any measured outcome, while the training group logged a 89.6% attendance rate with zero adverse events reported.
- Elissa Burton at Curtin University, who was not involved in the study, said many older women avoid lifting because they fear injury or heart attacks and feel intimidated by gym culture—but strength training can be transformative, with some study participants dropping their walking sticks.
- Zhang's team argued free-weight training likely beats typical machine-based programs for older adults because it activates more muscles, including core stabilizers used in everyday tasks like getting out of a car or off a toilet.
- The findings, published in Experimental Gerontology (DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2026.113246), add to evidence linking regular strength training in older women to lower fall risk, better cognitive protection, and longer lives.
Why it matters: For older women who've been told heavy lifting is dangerous, this trial delivered concrete evidence of safety and payoff: an 89.6% attendance rate with zero adverse events, deadlift capacity climbing from 45 to 58 kg, and measurable gains in balance and walking endurance—directly translating to easier daily tasks and reduced fall risk.
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