Exercise, strength and balance with age: what the research says about Exercise, Strength training, Balance training and preventing falls

What people try

4ExerciseStage 4 · Widely recommended · Free, for almost everyoneExercise is anything that gets your body moving.Main risk: Using weight machines improperly can cause back injury.4Strength trainingStage 4 · Widely recommended · Free or low cost, at home or a gymStrength training, also called resistance training, is exercise that makes muscles contract, often to lift a heavy object against gravity.Main risk: The page warns that overdoing strength exercises can cause exhaustion, sore joints, and muscle pain or injury.4Balance training and preventing fallsStage 4 · Widely recommended · Free or low cost; classes and physical therapyTai chi is described as a gentle exercise with slow and graceful movements.Main risk: The main risk stressed is that falls can cause broken bones and long-term disability in older adults.

Products

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Recent research

Study in 57 older adults aged 65 and up, 12-week trial

Matching training loads to strength or speed profile in older adults

Older adults trained at loads matched to their speed gap or at loads not matched.

Study in Older adults with possible sarcopenia in one nursing home in China

Short exercise breaks for older nursing home residents with muscle loss

This is a plan for a trial, and it has not reported results yet.

New trial

Comparing exercise mixes for adults over 50 with prediabetes

This trial plans to compare three exercise mixes with a health education group.

Study in 25 adults with chronic kidney disease

Home exercise may change muscle in people with kidney disease

A small trial found changes in muscle blood vessels and fewer fibrosis-linked cells after 12 weeks of home exercise.

Study in 25 controlled trials with 7,861 older adults

Exercise programs may help older adults' mood, social life and some strength tests

This review combined 25 controlled trials of physical activity in older adults.

See all the latest research →

What others are writing

Recent articles from health journalists, hospitals and universities. We link to them; we don't write or endorse them.

health.harvard.edu · Maureen Salamon · Jul 16, 2026

Strength training over decades linked to longer life ↗

Strength training: Strength training for up to two hours weekly over decades is linked to lower risk of dying from heart disease and neurological diseases.

hsph.harvard.edu · Karen Feldscher · Jun 9, 2026

Moderate amount of strength training each week could boost longevity ↗

Strength training: A Harvard Chan study links 90 to 120 minutes of weekly strength training with a lower risk of early death.

Scientific American · Jackie Flynn Mogensen · Jun 9, 2026

Resistance training may boost longevity. But how much do you need? ↗

Strength training: The article says regular strength training may extend lifespan, and asks how much of it is needed for those benefits.

This is general information gathered from the sources listed, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.

What you can do today: move