Sometimes there’s an unspoken assumption that, as we get older, our training should gradually become a gentler version of what it once was. Ease off the weights, dial down the intensity and try not to hurt yourself.
A growing number of over-55s appear to have missed that memo.
Research commissioned by later-life property company McCarthy & Stone found that one in five respondents aged over 55 reported doing 10 or more hours of physical activity a week. Perhaps surprisingly, that’s a greater proportion than among the 25- to 34-year-olds surveyed.
A quarter of over-55s had also tried a new form of exercise during the past five years, with strength training among the most popular activities they had taken up.
Sport England’s longer-running data suggests this is more than just an interesting snapshot. The proportion of 55- to 74-year-olds in England meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity each week rose from 57% in 2016 to 64.3% in 2025. Over the same period, the proportion completing at least two strength-training sessions a week increased from 38% to 41%.
That’s a sizeable proportion of over-55s lifting weights regularly.
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At the more extreme end of the spectrum, nearly 14,800 people aged 50 or over registered for the 2026 London Marathon. Hyrox has competitive age-group categories extending into competitors’ eighties, while the 2026 Masters CrossFit Games featured divisions for athletes aged 65-69 and 70-plus.
These competitors aren’t representative of everyone their age, but they’re a compelling rebuttal to the idea that ambitious training comes with an expiry date.
So, are over-55s fitter than ever?
The data certainly suggests they’re exercising more consistently and placing a greater emphasis on strength training than previous generations. It’s a fair assumption that this is helping to create a stronger, fitter and more resilient generation of quinquagenarians.
Should You Change the Way You Train After 50?
If that comes as a surprise, you may be wondering what specialist training programme is responsible for this apparent leap in capability.
The answer is… probably none.
Turning 50 doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your training. The fundamentals don’t suddenly stop working, and a specialist ‘over-50s’ programme isn’t automatically better than a plan that’s already delivering results. If nothing’s broken, there’s rarely any need to fix it.
Ageing does bring genuine physiological changes. Over time, we’ll lose muscle and strength, partly because life often becomes more sedentary, but also because our bodies simply change. That shouldn’t be a licence to throw in the towel. It’s a reason to make strength training more of a priority than ever. You’re still chasing gains, but you’re also building an insurance policy against losing your physical independence.
What is likely to change is your margin for error.
Stop turning every session into a reckless max-effort battle. That doesn’t mean you can’t train hard; it means training hard, intelligently. Prioritise high-quality reps and a handful of challenging sets. Keep squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling and carrying, but pay attention to how your body is actually responding, not how you hope it will. If a lift consistently causes niggles, swap it for one that doesn’t.
And don’t forget power.
The ability to produce force quickly matters for everything from catching yourself when you trip to simply feeling springy rather than sluggish. Kettlebell swings, medicine-ball throws and hill sprints can all help keep that quality in your training.
The trick is not to start training as though you’re fragile before you need to. Robustness is built through challenging work, not by avoiding it.
The McCarthy & Stone survey also found that over-55s exercise for more than their physical health. Mental wellbeing, purpose and staying connected to others all featured prominently. That’s a useful reminder of what all this training is ultimately for: keeping yourself capable of taking part in life for as long as possible.
