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Dear Friends -
I hit a milestone recently: six consistent weeks of lifting weights three times a week. It began as a curiosity and quickly became something I look forward to—the energy, the sense of empowerment, the tangible proof that I’m getting stronger.
While this week I’m spotlighting women, strength training is equally important for the men in our lives. We all face muscle loss, metabolic shifts and the tide of time—but research now shows that meaningful resistance work and structured movement can change how we age.
A recent Wall Street Journal article by Katie Roiphe, “Why Are So Many Women Like Me Suddenly Getting Strong?” (gift article), touches on a growing cultural shift: women in their 40s and 50s embracing strength in ways they never did before. They’re doing bicep curls, planks, barre, online strength classes—even in kitchens you’ll find dumbbells and weights where they never were before.
Some of the motivation is medical (perimenopausal symptoms), some is familial (watching aging parents), and some is existential—an awakening to the idea that while aging is inevitable, decline doesn’t have to be. “There’s something peculiarly exhilarating about taking up an activity you are not naturally good at,” Roiphe writes.
That awakening? It is for men too. It’s about deciding we won’t merely drift into the later years. We’ll stride into them.
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The Power of Strength
Roiphe uses light humor—barre classes “what a ballerina might do if you concussed her and then made her snort caffeine pills”—but her underlying insight is profound: this isn’t about vanity. It’s about vitality.
She writes:
“There is the faintest suggestion in the room that, if you do this, you won’t get older… Or at least that you might not fall while you are brushing your teeth 30 years from now.”
And that is the promise of strength in our third act: self-sufficiency, resilience, endurance, confidence.
Now we can add what the science is showing:
– In one large U.S. study of older adults, those who engaged in regular moderate-to-vigorous activity were biologically younger by more than a full year on epigenetic clocks.
– Another study found that structured exercise—including strength training—could reduce epigenetic age by about two years after just eight weeks.
– A full review of the field states that resistance training can literally delay or reverse molecular signs of aging in blood and muscle tissue.
Those findings are especially meaningful because they show: yes, you can start later. What you do now is powerful.
A Deeper Dive: My Conversation with Dr. Karen Falkenberg
To explore this further, I recently sat down with Dr. Karen Falkenberg, a lifelong educator and innovator whose career took a dramatic turn in her early sixties after a devastating car accident left her unable to walk.
Determined to rebuild her body and reclaim her independence, she walked into a gym one day — and met her future personal trainer and business partner, Ryan McQueen. Together, they founded Tiger’s Eye Life, a virtual strength and health coaching company now serving clients across every U.S. time zone.
Karen’s story is a powerful example of what’s possible at any age.
“I was 61 and overweight after months of recovery,” she told me. “One morning I just knew — it’s time. It’s time for me to get strong.”
That one decision sparked a full transformation. She regained her strength, earned certifications in functional nutrition and health coaching, and now helps others do the same.
In our interview, Karen explained that women can see noticeable results quickly — the so-called “newbie gains.”
“Anybody can do strength training and everybody should,” she said. “We lose muscle mass every year after 30, and it’s reversible if you start now. Whether heavy is five pounds or fifty, what matters is consistency.”
Her approach goes beyond muscle — it’s about metabolism, mental health, and mindset.
“Being strong will literally change your identity because you’ll feel so different in your skin,” she says. “Fitness creates freedom.”
Why This Matters (for both women and men)
Strength training supports:
Muscle preservation and increased bone density (critical for midlife)
Boosted metabolism, better insulin sensitivity, improved body composition
Better mood, sharper cognition, improved sleep
A sense of agency: you’re not just managing age, you’re actively designing how you age.
The added research gives us another arrow in the quiver: when you engage in intentional strength work and movement, you’re influencing your biological aging—not just how you feel today, but how your physiology ages over time.
This is not about six-pack abs. It’s about power. It’s about being able to carry your groceries, open your own jars, step into your days with confidence. It’s about aging with design, not drift.
Final Thought
I’ve always believed aging is the upgrade—and this is a movement proofing it. Whether you’re a woman reclaiming a new strength chapter or a man realizing strength is your next act too—this is for you.
Take the next step. Watch my interview with Dr. Falkenberg. Then: pick your first meaningful strength-move and do it. Make it consistent this week. Then next week. Then the week after.
Cara Gray
Third Act Consultant, CPRC, CEPA
P.S. If you want to start planning your third act, set up a time on my calendar for a chat: Schedule a Chat with Cara