What 121 trials found
The Cochrane review by Liu and Latham pooled 121 randomised controlled trials involving 6,700 older adults who did progressive resistance training — exercise where the load is increased as you get stronger. Across 73 trials, strength improved with a large effect (standardised mean difference 0.84). Overall physical ability improved by a small but significant amount, walking speed increased by an average of 0.08 metres per second across 24 trials, and the time or effort to get out of a chair showed a moderate to large improvement across 11 trials.
For people with osteoarthritis, resistance training also reduced pain (six trials, 503 participants). In people without arthritis, the trials did not show a pain effect, so we do not promise one. Adverse events were poorly recorded across the trials; muscle soreness and joint aches were commonly reported where they were monitored, while serious adverse events were rare and none were attributed directly to the exercise programme.
The takeaway is not that everyone will transform. It is that, on average, strength training makes older bodies stronger and more capable at everyday tasks, and the risks are mainly the manageable ones: sore muscles and sore joints when the program starts too hard.
What do the guidelines recommend?
The World Health Organization’s 2020 guidelines recommend that all adults, including those aged 65 and over, do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week and muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week. For older adults it adds multicomponent physical activity — balance, coordination and strength combined — on three or more days a week to help prevent falls and improve functional capacity.
These are targets to work towards, not a starting line. If you have not trained before, two short sessions of a handful of exercises is a real start, and it is better than a perfect plan you never begin. If you have a heart condition, uncontrolled blood pressure, recent surgery or significant pain, speak to your GP and tell us at booking so we can adjust.
How we start older adults at Daisy Hill
We begin with your history, medications, goals and any joints that complain — knees, hips, shoulders and backs are the usual suspects. Then we test what you can do now: rising from a chair, walking, balance in a few stances, grip and the strength of key muscle groups. That baseline lets us choose a starting load and shows you progress that is concrete rather than a feeling. Where it helps, VALD testing provides objective strength measures as a tool within the appointment.
The program is built around movements you use in life: sitting down and standing up, stepping, carrying, pushing and pulling, and reaching overhead. We teach each exercise, set the load, and progress it as you get stronger. Our gym-based rehab space is set up for exactly this, and clinical Pilates and hydrotherapy are options when joints need a gentler start.
Strength training for older adults at a glance
121 randomised trials with 6,700 older adults found a large improvement in strength · Walking speed improved by about 0.08 m/s on average and chair-rise improved · Resistance training reduced pain in people with osteoarthritis · Serious adverse events were rare · WHO 2020 guidelines: muscle strengthening on at least two days a week, plus multicomponent activity on three or more days for older adults · See a doctor promptly for chest pain, breathlessness out of proportion to effort, dizziness on standing, or sudden joint swelling.
Where strength training fits with the rest of your health
Strength work underpins most of what we do for older adults. For bone health see osteoporosis exercise and our post on the perimenopause bone-density window. For falls see falls prevention in Logan and aged care physio. For joint pain see knee pain, hip pain and shoulder pain.
If you are on weight-loss medication and want to protect muscle, read our GLP-1 and muscle post. For a simple strength marker you can track yourself, see grip strength and longevity and the two-hour rule for strength training.
Paying for strength training in Logan
Private patients can claim on the spot through HICAPS — see our physiotherapy fees page. Older adults with a chronic condition are often eligible for a GP chronic condition management plan, where Medicare rebates item 10960 at $63.40 from 1 July 2026, for up to five allied health visits a calendar year pooled across professions — see Medicare physiotherapy. DVA card holders are billed directly for accepted conditions, and NDIS participants on plan-managed or self-managed plans can use their funding with us.
Book a strength assessment in Daisy Hill
Daisy Hill Physio is at Unit 4, 11–13 Allamanda Drive, Daisy Hill QLD 4127 — in Logan City, Queensland, Australia (not Logan, Utah) — and works with older adults from Springwood, Shailer Park, Slacks Creek, Underwood, Rochedale South, Cornubia, Loganholme and Logan Central. Book online or call 07 3209 2000 and tell reception you would like to start strength training. Physiotherapist Teya Williams has a particular interest in healthy ageing, falls prevention and strength training for older adults; meet the whole team on our team page.
Reviewed by Teya Williams, Physiotherapist, Daisy Hill Physio. Content current at 7 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis — see a physiotherapist or GP for advice about your own situation.
Sources: Liu CJ, Latham NK. Progressive resistance strength training for improving physical function in older adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009;(3):CD002759 · Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med 2020;54:1451–1462. Accessed 7 October 2026.
