It’s a common belief that exercise becomes more difficult as we age. Many people find they can’t perform at the same intensity or for the same duration as they did when they were younger. But is this really true? Does exercise objectively become more challenging with age? Or is it simply a matter of perception and motivation?
Quick Answers
- Exercise does tend to get harder with age due to natural physiological changes.
- Declines in muscle mass, cardiovascular function, bone density, reaction time, balance and flexibility make exercise more difficult.
- The degree of decline depends on genetics, lifestyle factors and how much exercise someone does.
- Starting or continuing exercise helps reduce age-related decline in fitness and physical function.
- With the right motivation and modified exercise routines, people can continue exercising effectively into old age.
Age-Related Physiological Changes That Impact Exercise
Several natural physiological changes occur with aging that make exercise more challenging:
Decreased Muscle Mass
One of the most noticeable effects of aging is a loss of muscle mass, a process known as sarcopenia. Muscle mass normally peaks between 25-35 years old and declines steadily after age 40 at a rate of 0.5-1% per year. This muscle loss primarily affects fast-twitch muscle fibers used for strength and power. Declining muscle mass reduces strength and endurance, making all types of exercise feel harder.
Reduced Cardiovascular Function
Maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max) decreases with age due to declines in heart function and lung capacity. VO2 max typically peaks between 20-30 years old and drops 5-15% per decade after age 30. A lower VO2 max means the heart and lungs can’t deliver oxygen to muscles as effectively during exercise. This reduces endurance and makes activities like running, swimming, cycling and other cardio feel harder than before.
Decreased Bone Density
Bones gradually lose density and become more brittle with age, especially for women after menopause. Low bone density increases the risk of fractures and injury during exercise involving impact or falls like running, basketball or hiking. Knowing bones are more fragile can discourage older adults from exercise that was once easy for them.
Slower Nerve Conduction and Reaction Time
The speed at which nerve signals travel declines with age. This slows reaction time and coordination, making activities like racquet sports, martial arts, ping pong, dancing and even walking or running more hazardous and difficult. Slower reactions make it harder to perform exercise safely and proficiently.
Reduced Balance and Flexibility
Aging is associated with degeneration in the vestibular system and joints, reducing balance and flexibility. Balance deficits raise the risk of falls and injury from exercise involving changes in center of gravity like yoga, dance, soccer and gymanstics. Lack of flexibility makes movements like reaching, bending and joint mobility more challenging during exercise. Stiffness and reduced range of motion means basic exercises require more effort.
Psychological and Motivational Factors
In addition to physiological changes, some declines in exercise ability with age are due to perception and motivation. Negative stereotypes about aging can create self-limiting beliefs that exercise is “too hard” now. Lack of motivation and decreased energy levels with age may also lead to avoidance of exercise due to difficulty rather than physiological limitation.
Exercising Regularly Helps Minimize Age-Related Decline
While some decline in fitness and performance is inevitable with aging, much is preventable through regular exercise. Keeping active stimulates muscles and cardiovascular function, maintaining strength, endurance and VO2 max closer to youthful levels. Weight-bearing exercise also builds bone density, reducing risk of osteoporosis. Regular exercise preserves motor control skills and reaction time better than a sedentary lifestyle. Flexibility and balance activities help maintain range of motion and reduce fall risk.
Research shows lifelong exercisers experience smaller declines in fitness with age compared to their sedentary peers. People who continue exercising into old age also retain greater independence, health and quality of life. So while exercise does get harder with age, keeping active significantly slows the rate of decline. An 80 year old who has exercised their whole life will likely be far more fit than an inactive 50 year old.
Starting Exercise at Any Age Produces Benefits
It’s never too late to start exercising. Studies show previously sedentary individuals who start exercising in mid or late life still experience marked improvements in cardiovascular function, muscle mass, bone density, balance, flexibility and mental function. Exercise at any age helps counteract the natural effects of aging. Starting later in life may not maintain the same fitness levels as lifelong exercise, but it can still substantially slow age-related physical decline. Any amount of increased physical activity is beneficial.
Modifying Exercise for Age-Related Changes
To keep exercising effectively into old age requires modifying routines to account for declining capabilities. Recommendations include:
Focus on Mobility, Balance and Flexibility
As these physical attributes decline with age, specific exercises to improve mobility, balance and flexibility become more important. This may include Balance Board work, Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and other low impact bodyweight exercises. Stretching also helps compensate for reduced flexibility.
Prioritize Strength Training
Due to declining muscle mass, strength training is critical for older populations. Lifting weights and bodyweight resistance exercises help maintain strength and slow loss of muscle mass. This enables better performance of daily activities like climbing stairs, household chores and walking.
Include More Cardio Recovery Time
Lower cardiovascular capacity means older adults require longer warmups and cooldowns, and more rest between high intensity cardio intervals. Workouts may need to be shorter with lower overall intensity than when younger.
Minimize High-Impact Activities
Due to higher osteoporosis and fall risk, older adults should limit high-impact exercises like running, jumping or sports with collisions. Lower-impact cardio like walking, cycling or swimming is gentler on joints.
Use Proper Safety Equipment
Things like well-cushioned shoes, knee/elbow pads and ergonomic exercise machines better accommodate sore joints and bones. Spotters or partners help minimize fall and injury risk with balance exercises. Light weights allow strength training at an appropriate intensity.
Listen to Your Body
Aging athletes need to carefully monitor warning signs like pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or loss of function to avoid overtraining injuries. More recovery time between workouts may be required.
Maintaining Motivation and Realistic Expectations
To keep exercising in older age also requires maintaining motivation and realistic expectations. Understand that current fitness levels represent a new baseline – not personal “decline”. Avoid comparing to oneself at a much younger age. Celebrate small improvements and focus on consistency. Remember the huge benefits of exercise for health, function and independence rather than performance alone. Stay motivated with social exercise groups and support from family and friends.
The Bottom Line
Research clearly shows exercise becomes more challenging with age due to natural physiological decline. Loss of muscle, bone density, balance, flexibility and cardiovascular function all contribute to this. However, much of the age-related deterioration is preventable through regular exercise. Starting a workout program at any age provides huge benefits vs remaining sedentary. Older adults can continue exercising effectively by adjusting workouts for declining capabilities and maintaining motivation. So while exercise does get harder with age, adopting the right attitude and techniques allows people to stay active well into old age.
References
Age-Related Physiological Changes Affecting Exercise
| Decreased Muscle Mass and Strength | Lexell, J. (1995). Human aging, muscle mass, and fiber type composition. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 50(Special Issue), 11-16. |
| Reduced Cardiovascular Function | Fleg, J. L., Morrell, C. H., Bos, A. G., Brant, L. J., Talbot, L. A., Wright, J. G., & Lakatta, E. G. (2005). Accelerated longitudinal decline of aerobic capacity in healthy older adults. Circulation, 112(5), 674-682. |
| Decreased Bone Density | Sambrook, P. N., & Cooper, C. (2006). Osteoporosis. The Lancet, 367(9527), 2010-2018. |
| Slower Nerve Conduction and Reaction Time | Fozard, J. L., Vercellessen, L., Reynolds, C. L., Hancock, P. A., & Quilter, R. E. (1994). Age differences and changes in reaction time: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Journal of Gerontology, 49(4), P179-P189. |
| Reduced Balance and Flexibility | Rogers, M. W., & Mille, M. L. (2003). Lateral stability and falls in older people. Exercise and sport sciences reviews, 31(4), 182-187. |
Benefits of Exercise with Aging
| Improved Cardiovascular and Muscular Fitness | Seals, D. R., Hagberg, J. M., Allen, W. K., Hurley, B. F., Dalsky, G. P., Ehsani, A. A., & Holloszy, J. O. (1984). Glucose tolerance in young and older athletes and sedentary men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 56(6), 1521-1525. |
| Increased Bone Density | Asikainen, T. M., Kukkonen-Harjula, K., & Miilunpalo, S. (2004). Exercise for health for early postmenopausal women: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Sports Medicine, 34(11), 753-778. |
| Improved Balance and Flexibility | Gatts, S. K., & Woollacott, M. H. (2006). Neural mechanisms underlying balance improvement with short term Tai Chi training. Aging clinical and experimental research, 18(1), 7-19. |
| Better Retention of Mental Function | Colcombe, S., & Kramer, A. F. (2003). Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study. Psychological science, 14(2), 125-130. |
Adapting Exercise for Older Adults
| More Mobility, Balance and Flexibility Work | Howe, T. E., Rochester, L., Neil, F., Skelton, D. A., & Ballinger, C. (2011). Exercise for improving balance in older people. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (11). |
| Strength Training Emphasis | Liu, C. J., & Latham, N. K. (2009). Progressive resistance strength training for improving physical function in older adults. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (3). |
| More Cardio Recovery Time | Deley, G., Kervio, G., Van Hoecke, J., Verges, B., Grassi, B., & Casillas, J. M. (2007). Effects of a one-year exercise training program in adults over 70 years old: a study with a control group. Aging clinical and experimental research, 19(4), 310-315. |
| Lower Impact Activities | Mazzeo, R. S., Cavanagh, P., Evans, W. J., Fiatarone, M., Hagberg, J., McAuley, E., & Startzell, J. (1998). Exercise and physical activity for older adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 30(6), 992-1008. |
| Use Appropriate Safety Equipment | ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 10th ed. Wolters Kluwer, 2017. |
| Allow More Recovery Between Workouts | Cress, M. E., Buchner, D. M., Questad, K. A., Esselman, P. C., deLateur, B. J., & Schwartz, R. S. (1999). Exercise: effects on physical functional performance in independent older adults. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 54(5), M242-M248. |
Conclusion
Research clearly demonstrates that exercise becomes more difficult with age due to declines in muscle mass, cardiovascular function, bone density, balance, coordination and flexibility. These physiological changes make it harder for older adults to perform exercises as easily as when they were younger. However, studies also show that staying physically active helps minimize this age-related deterioration in fitness. Older adults can continue exercising effectively by adjusting intensity, recovery time and safety precautions, focusing more on strength, mobility and balance activities. With the right modifications and motivational strategies, regular exercise can provide huge physical and cognitive benefits well into the older years. Age is not necessarily a barrier to staying active – with patience, persistence and realistic expectations, people can adapt and continue exercising throughout their lifespan.
