Staying active looks different at every stage of life—but the desire to feel strong, capable, and connected never fades. At Touchmark, more than 45 years of experience have shown us that wellness for older adults isn’t about choosing between gentle movement and building strength. It’s about bringing them together in a way that supports both safety and vitality. Low-impact activities like walking, stretching, water exercise, and balance work protect joints, support mobility, and make daily life easier. Strength training, when done thoughtfully and appropriately, builds the muscle, bone density, and stability that keep those movements possible.
This is where the conversation shifts from lifespan to healthspan—not just adding years to life, but adding life to those years. Strength is what helps you rise from a chair with confidence, carry groceries, travel with ease, and recover more quickly from illness or injury. Paired with low-impact exercise, it becomes a powerful foundation for independence, resilience, and long-term well-being.
We’ve seen firsthand that small, consistent habits— strength training, functional movements, and gentle cardio—work best together. They support energy, balance, and the freedom to keep saying yes to the activities and relationships that bring meaning to each day.
This blog is rooted in what we know works, from research and best practices, but also from real life. Here, you’ll find practical guidance, encouragement, and inspiration designed to help you move well, feel well, and make the most of every day because at Touchmark, wellness is about living fully at every age.
Healthspan vs. Lifespan
The conversation around aging is shifting from simply how long we live to how well we live. According to Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D., Director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, “Lifespan refers to the total number of years a person lives, from birth to death,” while “healthspan is a concept that focuses on the number of those years that a person remains free of significant illness or disease.” In other words, the goal is no longer just adding years to life, but, as their experts put it, “add life to your years.”
This distinction matters because longer lives are not always healthier ones. A 2023 analysis highlighted by TIME notes a “yawning gap” between how long people live and how long they stay well. Currently, Americans live to about 77.5 years on average, but only around 66.1 years in good health. The article emphasizes that many experts now see healthspan as “the right measure of longevity,” reflecting a growing consensus that quality of life, independence, and function are more meaningful than the total number of years alone.
Taken together, these insights point to a new priority for aging well: not merely extending the lifespan, but maximizing the years we remain active, capable, and engaged. The focus on healthspan reframes wellness around mobility, strength, cognition, and social connection—outcomes that allow people to continue doing what they value.
Why Low-Impact Exercise Matters for Seniors
Low-impact exercise reduces stress on joints while still delivering meaningful health benefits, making it an ideal choice for older adults who want to stay active without unnecessary strain. Activities such as gentle stretching, walking, and balance exercises support muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination while being kind to the body. When practiced consistently, low-impact movement can help seniors maintain mobility, improve stability, and feel more confident navigating everyday activities—from climbing stairs to enjoying time with family.
Key benefits include:
- Improved balance and reduced fall risk
- Stronger muscles for everyday movement
- Increased flexibility and joint comfort
- Better circulation and heart health
- Greater independence and self-confidence
The Group Exercise Studio at Touchmark at All Saints in Sioux Falls, SD
Perhaps most importantly, these exercises encourage a sustainable, enjoyable approach to fitness, helping movement become a regular part of daily life rather than a source of discomfort or worry.
Chair Exercises for Limited Mobility
Chair exercises provide a safe and accessible option for seniors who prefer seated movement or who experience limited mobility. These exercises allow individuals to strengthen muscles, improve circulation, and stay engaged in physical activity without fear of falling.
Even gentle, seated movements can support core strength, arm and leg mobility, and overall endurance. For seniors in assisted living or memory care settings, chair-based exercise programs offer both physical benefits and a reassuring sense of routine.
However, for those in search of a low-impact workout, and even for those who may feel safest with chair exercise routines, many seniors are overlooking one of the most valuable and impactful kinds of exercise for aging adults: strength training.
Weight Lifting for Seniors: Strength Training for Older Adults
Many of us believe that the safest and best type of exercise for older adults is strictly low-impact movement, like seated yoga, water aerobics, or gentle walking. And it’s true: these forms of exercise are incredibly valuable. They protect joints, reduce fall risk, support cardiovascular health, and are often essential during rehabilitation after illness, surgery, or injury. Low-impact exercise helps rebuild confidence in the body, restores mobility, and creates a safe pathway back into regular activity. For many older adults, especially those managing arthritis, balance concerns, or recovery from hospitalization, these approaches are not just beneficial—they are necessary.
But there is another form of safe, evidence-based exercise for older adults that remains underdiscussed: strength training. When properly designed and supervised, resistance work is not about punishing your body. It’s about maintaining muscle mass, improving bone density, supporting joint stability, and making everyday movements easier and safer. Strength is what allows someone to stand up from a chair without assistance, carry a bag of groceries, or prevent a fall from becoming a serious injury. In combination with low-impact movement, it shifts the focus from simply avoiding harm to actively building resilience. This is the heart of rethinking wellness for older adults: not just protecting the body, but equipping it to support a longer, more independent, and more vibrant healthspan.
The Importance of Making Muscle for Seniors
Strength training becomes increasingly important as we age because our bodies naturally lose muscle mass, a process known as sarcopenia. This decline affects strength, balance, mobility, and overall independence, making everyday activities more difficult. The National Institute on Aging explains that “adults who don’t use their muscles regularly can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30.” This loss is not just about physical appearance. It is closely tied to a higher risk of falls, injury, and chronic disease. Maintaining muscle helps support joint stability, bone health, and metabolic function, all of which are essential for healthy aging.
Strength training helps muscles remain adaptable throughout life. When we challenge muscles with resistance—such as weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises—we give our body the chance to create the kind of muscle that protects us as we age. According to the National Institute on Aging, “strength training can rebuild muscle strength and mass and preserve your independence as you age.” This process also improves how the body uses glucose, supports bone density by stimulating bone-forming cells, and enhances neuromuscular coordination, which helps with balance and reaction time. In short: strength training can help reverse the effects of aging that cardiovascular exercise alone cannot prevent.
Beyond the physiological benefits, strength training is one of the most effective tools for extending healthspan—the years we live with vitality and function. Regular resistance exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease while improving mood and cognitive health. As the National Institute on Aging notes, “strength training also helps you stay strong enough to do everyday tasks,” reinforcing that the goal is not just longer life, but a more capable and independent one. In this way, building and preserving muscle is foundational to aging well, supporting both physical resilience and quality of life.
Finding Group Fitness Classes for Seniors
Strength training doesn’t have to be intimidating. The best way to safely challenge your body is under the supervision of a fitness professional, like the certified personal trainers at Touchmark’s Health and Fitness Clubs and Studios. The best thing you can do for your body is to push yourself a little. The safest and most productive way to push yourself is with an experienced guide, who will make sure you are getting results that matter while maximizing safety and comfort.
Dennis T. Villareal, M.D., a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says that starting slow and attending regular group classes are some of the best ways to being to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine. “The value and joy from group exercises is that participants motivate and encourage each other,” says Villareal.
Research consistently shows that older adults are more likely to stay active when exercise includes a social component. Group settings create structure, routine, and accountability—key factors in long-term adherence to fitness programs. Studies in gerontology and public health have found that participation in group exercise increases consistency and reduces dropout rates compared to exercising alone, which directly supports better mobility, balance, and strength over time.
The physical benefits of group fitness are also amplified by professional guidance and shared pacing. Classes designed for older adults are led by trained instructors who understand age-related changes in balance, joint health, and endurance. This reduces the risk of injury while ensuring exercises are appropriately challenging and effective. Research has linked supervised group exercise to improvements in functional strength, gait speed, flexibility, and reduction of fall risk. These outcomes directly impact an individual’s ability to live independently and confidently.
Social Health Definition and Impact : The Risks of Social Isolation
When it comes to group fitness, the cognitive and emotional benefits are just as important as the physical ones. Social health is the element of overall wellbeing that comes from connection and community. It is an essential element of the healthspan. According to Psychology Today, “our relationships determine both how well we live and how long we live.”
Loneliness and social isolation can take a toll on mental health, but they recently have been definitively linked to poorer physical health. According to the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling… It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.”
One of the best ways to protect your health is to surround yourself with a community, and combining community and exercise can have a radical effect on your physical and mental well-being. Current research shows that social interaction during physical activity has been shown to reduce feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression among older adults. Group fitness fosters connection, shared purpose, and encouragement, which in turn boosts motivation and overall well-being.
Aging Well for The {FULL} Life
At Touchmark, we believe that aging well is about more than just adding years to life—it’s about increasing your healthspan, staying strong, mobile, and connected every day. By combining low-impact exercise with strength training and the support of a welcoming community, older adults can maintain independence, resilience, and confidence in daily living.
Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or looking to build on established habits, Touchmark’s Health and Fitness Clubs and Studios offer expert guidance, group classes, and safe, structured programs tailored for every ability. Explore our resources, join a class, or schedule a personal consultation to discover how you can strengthen your body, connect with others, and thrive at every stage of life.
Visit Touchmark online or call 503-646-5186 to learn more, sign up for a fitness class, or tour our wellness facilities today, because at Touchmark, wellness is living fully at every age.
The Health & Fitness Club pool at Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village (Meridian, Idaho).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
The CDC’s guide to “Growing Stronger – Strength Training for Older Adults”
The yes2next YouTube channel, with videos like “20 Minute Strength Training for Seniors and Beginners”
Your local Touchmark Health & Fitness Club