Sand there is a silent fear after 50 is that of realizing that, as age advances, daily activities, even the simplest ones, require ever greater effort. But scientific evidence in recent years has completely overturned this narrative, that of a sealed fate. There muscle strength is today considered a powerful and accurate biomarker of risk and health prediction. It is no longer a discussion of what you raise, but rather it is a clear photograph of the quality of your lifeeven when menopause and advancing age arrive.
There muscle mass it is also a metabolic organ. More functional muscle means more ability to handle glucose and fat, more joint stability, more protection from falls and often more adherence to an active lifestyle, because you feel more comfortable and confident in your body.
To combat bone fragility you need to lift weights
A study that deserves a permanent place in your mind is the LIFTMOR trialbecause he studied post-menopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis, which is precisely the situation in which many fear that weights are “too risky”. In the study, 101 women (mean age 65±5 years) were randomly assigned to two programs for 8 months. One group was assigned to supervised high-intensity weight training 2 times per week; to the other, low intensity home exercises.
In the first group the bone mineral density increased significantly, equal to 2.9% in the lumbar spinemore than double that of the low-intensity training group. More importantly, side effects were minimal and infrequent.
The conclusion is clear. Lifting weights with adequate loads, increasing the load over time, with correct technique and personalization, is essentialalso to improve already compromised bone quality. Even more so the quality of your life.
The muscle: the friendly organ of menopause
After menopause, when the hormonal structure changes and estrogen decreases, the body tends to lose muscle mass and strength more easily, even if the lifestyle does not change.
Strength training counteracts this process because it stimulates the “building” of new muscle proteins and also trains the nervous system, learning to better recruit fibers and generate force more efficiently.
What is even more relevant is that the muscle is not just used to move. It is in fact a metabolic organ. When it contracts it releases substances called myokinessmall messengers that influence other tissues such as the liver, fat and pancreas. Furthermore, the contraction helps the muscle to get glucose into the cells even without depending only on insulin; this is why exercise can improve the blood sugar control and support the metabolism, especially if the dose (intensity and regularity) is adequate.
Then there is a very practical effect. More strength in your hips and knees means more stable movements, safer posture and fewer daily risks with advancing age. When you feel more stable, you move more. But when you’re afraid of losing balance or hurting yourself, you often start to avoid activity, and inactivity further accelerates the loss of strength.
Let’s be realistic
The WHO guidelines 2020 are clear: moderate or greater intensity muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups at least 2 days a week, plus aerobic activity.
For those over 65, attention is added to balance and fall prevention.
The practice, however, is personalization. If you’re starting from scratch, the goal for the first 4–6 weeks is not to “push,” but learn technique, build regularity and remove noise (avoidable pain, incorrect loads, insufficient recovery).
A realistic model for mostly sedentary and inactive women includes two 35–45 minute sessions per week. But the fundamental objective is the progression. When a load becomes easy, it increases, maintaining the quality of the gesture.
They are simple, evidence-based messages that allow us to achieve enormous health benefits and disprove those misleading messages that limit movement.
But how can we evaluate our functional health?
One of the most robust tests according to scientific evidence is the grip strength (handgrip). It is a non-invasive, accurate and economical test. It is performed by squeezing a small device equipped with sensors (dynamometer), which provides reliable data. It is easy to repeat over time and is used in large population studies because a weaker grip is often associated with higher health risks.
Another useful test isget up from the chair five times (five-times sit-to-stand). This test evaluates power and stability. You get up and sit down five times, as quickly as possible, safely. If over time you take less time or feel more stable, you’re not just exercising: you’re improving your autonomy in daily activities and your well-being.
Finally, the walking speed at a normal pace and the ability to maintain a brisk pace say a lot about leg strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and safety in movement. They are simple tests, but very informative about functional health.
Digital support
A device wearable It doesn’t directly measure strength, but it gives you the trajectory of your health: steps, sitting time, resting heart rate and sleep. This data, if interpreted correctly, helps to understand if you are recovering well or if you are accumulating fatigue. They allow you to understand what and how to improve your lifestyle in a personalized way.
There precision prevention it means transforming generic sensations (“I feel weaker”) into clear numbers and trends, and today technology allows us to do this with great accuracy. What is certain is that the winning move is not to analyze every aspect of our life in a maniacal way, but to work on our perceptions and, at the same time, have constant technological and professional support.
Michele Bonaccorso
Doctor Michele Bonaccorso.
The Dr. Michele Bonaccorso He is a surgeon, specialized in anesthesia and resuscitation, oxygen-ozone therapy and functional medicine.
His virtuous course of study has allowed him to be today among the most qualified exponents of functional medicinewith particular reference tooxygen-ozone therapy and to pain therapy.
He graduated with honors from LUniversity of Catania. For over 10 years he has successfully practiced oxygen-ozone therapy for the treatment of musculoskeletal pathologies, in the treatment of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseasesand as a technique prevention and slowing down of aging.
He attended anti-aging medicine school AMIA (Italian Antiaging Doctors Association) directed by Dr. Galimberti. He graduated from the school ofAIMF HEALTH (Italian Association of Functional Medicine) which allowed him to become functionalist doctor. Finally, he obtained a II level Master’s degree in Pain Therapy from the University of Parma. He held the role of head of pain therapy for the group Multimedical. He follows national and international conferences with interest which allow him to always stay up to date on the latest news in the field of functional medicine and anti-aging.
Doctor Nicola Marino
The Dr. Nicola Marino carries out research activities with the Swiss group Women’s Brain Foundationfor which he is a member of the advisory board, in the fields of longevity and artificial intelligence. Director of AEON Foundation and former political consultant in the field of digital health and longevity, he is the author of numerous scientific publications.
He carried out an internship at the Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Bostonwas a member of Scientific Committee of the Italian Association of Digital Health and Telemedicine (AISDET) and consultant for the US company Health Catalyst. He carries out scientific journalism activities for national and international media, and has been involved as an expert for CFI.co, Il Sole 24 Ore, Corriere della Sera, Millionaire, Rai1 and Sky TG24, to name a few.
