If you're dealing with unexplained aches and pains, stubborn weight gain, tight joints, or a constant lack of energy, chances are you've blamed one thing: your age.
We’ve all heard it.
“You’re not 25 anymore.”
“Wait until you hit menopause.”
“It’s normal to slow down as you get older.”
These messages are everywhere — from doctors, media, friends, and even ourselves. The idea that aging automatically equals decline is so common, it’s almost unquestioned. But what if this entire narrative is wrong?
Age Is Not the Enemy
But what if this is true: Your age is not the problem.
Your age is not the reason you’ve gained weight.
It’s not why your back hurts, why you feel tired, or why stairs feel harder than they used to.
What is the real issue?
Inactivity — or not moving enough in the right way.
Most of the decline people attribute to aging is actually the result of a lack of muscle mass, poor movement patterns, and a sedentary lifestyle. In other words, it’s not age that’s causing the issue — it’s what we’re not doing — or not doing — as we age.
The good news? You have far more control than you think.
Challenging the Conditioning Around Aging
We’ve been conditioned to expect decline with age — to believe that feeling stiff, tired, or weak is inevitable. This belief is so deeply ingrained that even when people see living proof that it doesn’t have to be this way, they often can’t believe it.
One of my clients, now 51, started strength training three years ago. Today, she says she feels better than she did in her 30s. She swims, hikes, chases her kids around, and gets off the floor with ease — no hands needed. She’s full of energy and gratitude. She doesn’t “feel old” at all. Check out the message she sent me a few days ago:
How is she able to do all that? Because she built strength. Because she moved with intention.
A few months ago I had a conversation with two of my family members, one of them is 69 and the other 71. I shared with them the story of another client — a man who had never worked out a day in his life until his early 70s. He signed up to work with me when he was in his early 70s, because his wife told her he has to (smart woman!)
Five years later, this client who has continued to lift weights with me throughout all these years, is exploring the world on foot, biking and skiing with his granddaughter, and going on birdwatching trips to places like Japan and New Zealand.
And yet, after hearing this, one of my relatives simply said, “That’s a nice story… but I’m already 71.”
That’s the power of conditioning. It convinces us decline is inevitable — even when the evidence says otherwise.
But here’s the truth: there are people in their 80s, 90s, and even 100s still hiking, dancing, and lifting weights. Not because they got lucky, but because they never stopped moving.
Strength Training Is the Key to Vitality
If the problem is inactivity and muscle loss, the solution is obvious: strength training.
This doesn’t mean hours in the gym or lifting the heaviest weights possible. Just 2–3 short workouts per week can drastically change your energy, mobility, and long-term health.
Let’s break down what strength training actually does for you.
1. Boosts Your Metabolism and Prevents Muscle Loss
Many people believe metabolism naturally slows down with age. But the biggest reason for a sluggish metabolism is muscle loss, not aging itself.
Muscle is metabolically active tissue. The more of it you have, the more calories you burn — even at rest. Activities like walking or yoga are great for movement, but they don’t build or maintain muscle the way resistance training does.
If your body feels like it’s “stuck,” the missing piece is likely strength. Build more muscle, and your body will begin to change.
2. Protects Bone Density
Especially for women, bone density starts to decline during and after menopause. This increases the risk of fractures and falls — one of the leading causes of loss of independence in older adults.
The good news? This is also highly preventable.
Strength training provides the mechanical load your bones need to stay dense and strong. Walking or Pilates won’t cut it. Resistance training is essential to aging without fear of fractures or fragility.
3. Regulates Blood Sugar
Did you know that muscle mass helps regulate blood sugar?
Muscles act like a sponge, absorbing glucose from your bloodstream and using it for energy. When you have more muscle, you manage blood sugar more effectively — lowering your risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
If you’re concerned about blood sugar or metabolic health, strength training is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.
4. Increases Energy and Resilience
If you feel like you’re always dragging, this isn’t just “getting older” — it’s often a lack of movement and undernourished muscle tissue.
Strength training improves the function of your mitochondria (the energy centers in your cells), helps regulate stress hormones, and even improves sleep. Many people report sleeping more deeply and waking up with more energy within just a few weeks of starting.
It doesn’t take long to feel the difference.
5. Reduces Pain, Builds Flexibility, and Preserves Independence
Contrary to popular belief, lifting weights does not have to make you tight — it can actually make you more mobile. Functional strength training improves balance, reduces joint pain, and increases flexibility through full-range movement.
And perhaps most importantly, it protects your independence.
Carrying your own groceries. Climbing stairs with ease. Playing with your grandchildren. Traveling without fear of falling. These are all real-life tasks that get harder — or easier — depending on how strong you are.
Strength training is functional training. It gives you the freedom to keep living on your own terms, for decades to come.
You Are Not Too Old to Start
Wherever you are right now — whether you’re 45 or 75 — it’s not too late. You don’t have to settle for feeling tired, stiff, or out of shape.
And no, you don’t need to starve yourself or do endless cardio.
What you need is more muscle.
You need to move more intentionally.
And if you don’t know where to start, I’ve got you covered.
Start With a Beginner-Friendly Plan
If you're brand new to strength training or returning after a long break, my free guide Fit From Scratch is a great place to begin. It includes:
- A Bodyweight + Bands Track (no equipment required other than a resistance band)
- A Dumbbell Track for those ready for the next challenge
- Simple, full-body workouts designed to help you build strength safely and effectively
Get this guide (includes both tracks) below.
Download hereYou don’t need hours in the gym. You just need a plan that meets you where you are.
Final Thoughts: Age Is Just a Number. Function Is a Choice.
It’s time to retire the idea that aging equals decline. Yes, your body changes — but those changes don’t have to be negative. You can build strength at any age. You can feel energetic, capable, and pain-free well into your 60s, 70s, and beyond.
The question is: What story do you want to live?
You can believe the old narrative — that your best years are behind you. Or you can write a new one.
One where you get stronger.
One where you feel better every year.
One where you move forward with purpose, not fear.
You are not too old. You are just getting started.
Additional resources:
FREE Beginner Lever Workout Guide Fit From Scratch (3 bodyweight and band workouts for beginners): https://kerstenkimura.com/fit-from-scratch
FREE Lean Ladies Calorie, Protein and Workout Guide: https://kerstenkimura.com/lean-ladies-calorie-protein-and-workout-guide-2/
FREE Course Strong and Sensitive: https://kerstenkimura.com/14-day
FREE nervous system regulation guide for anxiety: https://kerstenkimura.com/3-somatic-exercises-free-guide/
Beginner Level Strength Training Program: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/train-to-build-starter-program/
Intermediate Level Strength Training Program: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/train-to-build-intermediate/
Fit and Fueled Vault: A collection of 75+ video trainings providing sustainable, holistic approach to strength, nourishment, and nervous system regulation for women. NO DIETS. https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/fit-and-fueled-vault-course/
Emotionally Fit is my emotional awareness program for chronic pain or other chronic symptom recovery. You can find it here: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/emotionally-fit-program/
Visit my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dotsbykersten
Apply to work with me: https://forms.gle/6NNHGmhvBQERvmu67
Get in touch:
Website: kerstenkimura.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerstenkimurafitness
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KerstenKimuraCoach/
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