The National Institute on Aging has found that by age 65 or older, 30% of adults will have trouble walking and standing up by the age of 70, which is linked to higher fall rates, nursing home admission, mortality and chronic illness. Cedric X. Bryant, CEO of the American Council on Exercise, says strength training, also called resistance training, challenges the muscles to work against an external force or load, which can increase endurance, power and overall body function. While you may think of age-related muscle mass and strength depletion as reasons for avoiding strength training due to frailty and injury in older age, it can protect the body from getting weaker over time. However, even if you have a history of hitting the gym, you can still reap the benefits of resistance training.