Most people do not lose their independence because of a birthday. They lose it one small thing at a time: a chair that needs two hands to get out of, stairs taken one at a time, a slip on an icy driveway that turns into a fall. Every one of those runs on muscle and balance, and both can be trained at any age. Here is what the research says, what a sensible start looks like, and where to begin in Stittsville.

Why strength matters more after 60

Muscle is the reserve you spend when life gets hard: a hospital stay, a surgery, a long winter indoors. Left alone, it slips away a little every year after midlife. Trained, it comes back, and the research is clear that it comes back at any age.

The four things worth training

• Legs. Getting off the floor, out of a low chair and out of the car without using your hands. Sit-to-stands and squats to a box are where this starts.
• Balance. Stepping, single-leg and coordination drills, so a stumble stays a stumble instead of becoming a fall.
• Grip and carrying. Groceries in one trip, a suitcase up the steps, a grandchild on your hip.
• Range of motion. Hips, shoulders and spine that reach, turn and bend again. Stiff mornings get shorter.

What a safe start looks like

• Start with a conversation, not a workout.Tell someone qualified what you want to keep doing, what hurts, and what has happened in the past year.
• Flag the important things early.A fall in the past year, osteoporosis, a recent joint replacement, a heart condition or dizzy spells all change how a program should be set up. None of them has to rule you out.
• Pick coached and small.Someone watching every rep, and every exercise scaled to your body that day.
• Twice a week, consistently.Two steady sessions a week beat an occasional hard one, every time.

Stronger for Longer, our physio-led class

Stronger for Longer is a small strength and conditioning class designed and coached by Megan Wallenius, our physiotherapist. Each class starts with ten minutes of mobility, then strength work (squat, hinge, push, pull and carry), then balance and stepping drills, and finishes in forty-five minutes. Two people can stand side by side doing very different versions of the same exercise.

After the block there is a short break, and the next one starts in January.

Not sure where you stand?

Take the free Independence Score on the Stronger for Longer page: five quick taps, a score out of 100, and Megan's recommended first step. Or book a free No-Sweat Intro, a relaxed thirty-minute conversation at the gym. No workout, no gym clothes, and an honest answer on whether the class is the right fit.

Reading this for a parent?

A lot of our calls start with a son or daughter. If someone you love has started holding the railing a little tighter, send them this page, or book the No-Sweat Intro together. Coming along to the first conversation is welcome.

Common questions

Written by the team at Between The BumpersStronger for Longer is designed and coached by Megan Wallenius, MSc Physiotherapy. Strength coaching and rehab under one roof in Stittsville since 2017.

Where to next

This article is general information, not medical advice. Falls as the leading cause of injury hospitalization among Canadians 65 and older: Public Health Agency of Canada, Surveillance Report on Falls Among Older Adults in Canada. Exercise programs reduced the rate of falls by about 23 percent: Sherrington et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019. Muscle strengthening at least twice a week: Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults 65 Years or Older.