Jim Morris is no less than 78 years old, but he could out-compete many guys half his age. So could Ernestine Shepherd, who is also 78. Does your grandmother look like anything like this?

Ernestine not only continues to weight train every day, so actually teaches it, too. Her students know she is on to something, because some days the classes are so full they can’t fit everyone in the room.

But so far, we’ve only been talking about the youngsters. So let’s step it up another notch and look at the really senior bodybuilders. Charles Eugster started pumping iron at the age of 87.

​Since then he has won three weight lifting titles in his age group, as well as breaking a world record for sprinting. He says he does weight training so that he can impress the young 70-year old ladies on the beach.

OK, let’s squeeze in just one more. If you thought you would definitely be past it when you hit the century mark, think again. Manohar Aich from India is an astounding 103 years old, yet he still lifts weights every day.

Turn the Reality of Ageing into a Myth

Traditionally, we think of ageing as an unfortunate but inevitable aspect of life. We simply have to accept that as we get older, our bodies will gradually decay and we will become weaker and weaker until something vital stops working altogether, and we die. Whichever way you look at it, this is a depressing thought.

However, science is now showing that ageing is perhaps not as inevitable as we have always assumed. It turns out that many of the processes we associate with ageing simply the result of misuse.

As we get older, we become less active, so our bodies have less incentive to build muscle and bone, and to keep everything in tip-top condition. But if we commit to a regular program of weight training, our bodies get shocked back into life.

​They start building fresh muscle and strengthening bones. Our nervous system begins to function more efficiently, and we recover our balance and our stability.

To understand how this happens, we need to look at biomarkers. These are measures of important biological states within our bodies, and are a good indication of our general health. Reviewing ten important biomarkers shows just how valuable weight training can be in keeping us youthful.

Ten Ways Weight Training Keeps You Young

1. Increasing Muscle Mass

Muscle mass is the most important of the ten biomarkers. After age 40, we typically lose a significant amount of muscle every year. So by the time we reach age 70, our muscle mass is severely depleted. But research has shown that weight training several days a week can reduce muscle loss to next to nothing.

2. Conserving Strength

It’s not hard to work out that as you lose muscle, you also lose strength. Weight training helps you reverse that loss, so that you can remain strong and vital for decades.

3. Maintaining Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

As you lose muscle through the years, your basal metabolic rate slows, too. So strength training helps to keep your metabolism functioning as well as it always has.

4. Balancing Body Fat Percentage

In today’s world, most people pile on a few extra pounds as they get older, and we all know that this bad for health in all kinds of ways. Weight training helps to offset by building more energy-burning muscle, increasing metabolism and consuming calories in every workout.

5. Maximizing Aerobic Capacity

If you are not breathing optimally, clearly your body cannot function efficiently. Weight training and the associated cardio exercises help to prevent the loss of aerobic capacity that occurs as we age. One research study showed that 12 weeks of strength training can increase treadmill walking endurance by 38% in the over-65s. That’s a big improvement!