How to start weight training after 60

Two hours per week of resistance exercise can significantly cut the risk of an early death

A suitable workout routine will be based on your baseline fitness and movement ability. Picture: iStock 

NEW research suggests that doing 90 minutes to two hours of weight training per week can slash the risk of an early death.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, involved 147,374 people who were asked every two years during a 30-year follow-up about how much time they spent doing aerobic exercise and strength training.

Researchers found that the people who undertook resistance training regularly and kept it up for the long term lowered the chance of early death from any cause by 13% — and by 19% when it came to conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

In addition, the findings showed that those who lifted weights or used resistance bands or bodyweight exercises had a 27% lower risk of dying from neurological disease.

Although many people are aware of the benefits of strength training, it can be hard to figure out how to get started. We spoke to personal trainer Samuel Quinn, who shared the following advice:

The assessment

“The best practice is to have a functional movement screen,” recommends Quinn.

A movement screen involves a range of exercises that are usually undertaken by fitness professionals to evaluate someone’s movement patterns, he says.

“It helps us assess how clients move through different fundamental movement patterns of the body, such as squatting movement, hinging movement, and single-leg movement. We can also use this to check someone’s overhead mobility and core stability. With this information, we can get a baseline level of your fitness and movement ability.”

Bespoke training programme

“There are so many different variables which come into play, so I would recommend following a programme which is bespoke and suited to your specific anatomy, goals, and ability,” advises Quinn. “You need a programme that you’re going to be able to be consistent with and be able to manipulate and adapt to avoid injury.”

Keep it simple

Straightforward exercises are often the most effective.

“It needs to be simple and involve basic movement patterns, rather than being a very elaborate programme that takes a long time,” says Quinn.

“It should be relatively [easy] to follow, so that you are able to execute it well and therefore yield the results that you desire from it,” he says.

Start with a lighter load

“Lots of people go too heavy too soon, and subsequently injure themselves or get really sore for a few days after,” says Quinn.

“The weight doesn’t need to be as heavy as you can lift, as you can still get benefits with a slightly lighter load,” he says.

“Start by selecting a lower weight and make sure that you can comfortably control the repetitions, so you get the benefit from the exercise, then progress cautiously with heavier loads over time.”

Check your form

“With a lot of my clients, I often show and explain to them the exercises, and then send them off with videos, which they can go back to when they are training on their own,” says Quinn.

“There are lots of videos out there which show and explain different types of exercises and explain what they are going to be doing and what the correct form and technique is.”

Aim for two sessions a week

“You don’t have to be doing five hours a week of strength training. Even a couple of sessions a week can yield very good benefits if you’re looking at improving stability, overall physical strength, general fitness, and quality of life,” says Quinn.

“It’s about making sure that you’re selecting the right exercises, which are appropriate for your baseline fitness, health and wellbeing, and being able to consistently do that a couple of times a week.

“Even with two relatively short sessions a week, you can really improve your physical strength and quality of life, and help prevent issues which you are more susceptible to as you age, such as osteoporosis and risk of falls.”

Prioritise recovery, protein and hydration

Quinn advises beginners to think about what they do outside of training sessions.

“To get the benefits out of your workouts, you need to be able to recover from them with adequate sleep and rest,” says Quinn.

“You also need to make sure that you’re eating appropriately, consuming enough protein, and are sufficiently hydrated. I would aim for between 1.1-2g of protein per kilogramme of body weight per day, and around 2.5l of water per day.”