A new study finds that women over the age of 85 can improve functional fitness and upper-body endurance with low-intensity exercise—here’s what they did

As you age, you might assume that you need to make big changes to your workout routine in order to see noticeable improvements in the way your body moves and feels.

But a new study published in European Review of Aging and Physical Activity found that six months of low-intensity exercise created noticeable improvements for women over the age of 85.

What did the study involve?

“​In this study, we investigated whether a structured, low-intensity exercise program could improve physical function and selected metabolic health markers in community-dwelling women aged 85 and older,” explains Sung Wook Chang, a co-author of this study and researcher at Pusan National University’s Institute of Physical Education & Sports Science.

Participants were split into three groups. One control group and two exercise groups. Of the exercise groups, one did aerobic exercise and the other followed a resistance training program.

What were the findings of the study?

It’s a fairly small study, so the results aren’t conclusive. However, what researchers found is promising.

Both sets of women in the exercise groups noticed improvements in functional fitness, which refers to their ability to do exercises that reflect the way they move in everyday life.

“​A primary motivation for this trial was that people aged 85-plus remain profoundly underrepresented in clinical exercise literature,” says Wook Chang. “We sought to determine whether meaningful physiological adaptations could occur at a very advanced age without relying on moderate or high-intensity workloads.”

The results are encouraging, as the study led to “significant gains” in participants’ ability to sit on and stand up from a chair, as well as their upper-body endurance.

“The resistance training group also demonstrated marked improvements in grip strength, alongside favorable changes in key metabolic biomarkers such as adiponectin, fasting insulin, and glucose,” Wook Chang says.

The study indicates that it’s never too late to start exercising and improving the way your body moves. “The core message is that advanced chronological age is not a barrier to meaningful adaptation,” Wook Chang says. “When appropriately designed and consistently supervised, low-intensity exercise is a viable, high-yield strategy for preserving functional independence in women over 85.”

The workouts researchers used to help women over the age of 85 improve their physical function

For this study, participants in the exercise groups completed a 24-week supervised program, training three times per week at a local public sports center under the guidance of professional exercise instructors.

Below, Wook Chang has shared the two workouts that the women in this study followed. However, she notes that they aren’t necessarily workouts you should follow at home. “I would caution readers against viewing this as a one-size-fits-all regimen to attempt independently without considering individual health status, functional baseline, and medical clearance,” she says.

You should always consult your doctor or another health professional before starting a new exercise regimen. If you want to start strength training, consider working with a certified personal trainer in person, so they can adjust exercise selection and offer modifications that reflect your current ability.

The aerobic exercise routine women over the age of 85 followed in the clinical trial

The 30 women who took part in the study prioritised treadmill walking as their main form of exercise.

“We deliberately maintained a relatively low intensity given the participants’ age,” Wook Chang says.

The aim was to reach about 30 to 35% of their heart rate reserve for the first 12 weeks of the study. For the final 12 weeks, there was a small increase to 36 to 39% of their heart rate reserve.

The study suggests that introducing regular light exercise can make a big difference for women over the age of 85.

The resistance training workout women over the age of 85 followed for the study

The women following a resistance training program performed a combination of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises.

They aimed for weights which reflected 30 to 40% of their one-rep max (the maximum weight they’d be able to lift for one rep) for the first 12 weeks. For the final 12 weeks, they increased the intensity to 40 to 49% of their one-rep max.

Each session was one hour or less, with two to three minutes of rest in between sets. Here are the moves included in the resistance training program:

• ​Dumbbell squat
• ​Dumbbell deadlift
• ​Dumbbell incline press
• ​Seated dumbbell press
• ​Dumbbell curl
• ​Dumbbell overhead triceps extension
• ​Crunch

Be sure to consult your doctor or another health professional before trying any of these exercises or changing your exercise regimen in any way.