Strong, not just big – Why strength training is preventive healthcare

Sport is good for you – that's a well-known fact. People who exercise not only live longer, but also feel better long before they reach those hard-earned extra years of life. Yet one particular type of sport tends to be viewed with a somewhat more critical eye: resistance training – better known as weight training. Lifting weights has always been fraught with preconceptions and stereotypes. Muscular blokes admire their gains at the gym. Over recent years, this has only been reinforced. The protein craze in supermarkets, dubious beauty trends ("Looksmaxxing") or identitarian undertones cast an activity – already burdened with preconceptions – in an unfavourable light. However, sport and health experts are increasingly recognising just how important muscle building really is and that many concerns were, in fact, unfounded. In an ageing Luxembourg, it could, on the contrary, even play a vital role in preventive healthcare.

"More and more studies show that strength training has long been underestimated, particularly in older age, " says Dr Martine Hoffmann, head of Gero Research. Cardiovascular training and exercise in general have always been recognised as part of healthy ageing. But the importance of preventing muscle loss is becoming increasingly clear. As early as the age of 50, the body begins to lose muscle mass at a significantly faster rate. "For people who hardly exercise at all, this can start as early as 25 – which is actually the age when you're in the prime of life. Young people who do absolutely nothing are already turning into 'jelly' … and are ageing less well."

Turning into "jelly" at an early age is particularly problematic because it becomes harder to catch up on muscle building with every passing year. "Building up muscle reserves is a form of provision for old age. You build up muscle strength and mass. You'll benefit from this later on, when you're no longer able to be as active, " says Hoffmann.