Benefits of Exercise for Adults: Why It’s Never Too Late to Start
Did you know that starting exercise in your 40s or later can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease mortality by up to 31% with just 150 minutes of moderate activity per week?1 For adults new to exercise, the journey might feel daunting, especially if life’s demands have kept you sidelined. The longer you go without exercise, the more challenging it feels to start. But the evidence is clear: movement isn’t reserved for the young or the fit. It’s a gateway to strength, vitality, and healthier aging, no matter where you begin. You deserve the benefits of exercise regardless of when you decide to start.
Let me share a bit about my own path to underscore this. Well before I ever started exercising regularly, I faced significant hurdles. Diagnosed with degenerative hip arthritis, my feet were described by doctors as “gristle” rather than proper cartilage between the bones. Chronic back pain plagued my days, and I had left knee cartilage damage that made simple tasks like going up and down stairs agonizing. Raised in the country with limited access to gyms, I wasn’t an athlete in my youth. Yet, by starting small with bodyweight workouts and consistent effort, I built a fitness foundation that not only managed these issues but led to great success. If I could turn things around from that baseline, I believe you can too. It’s never too late to prioritize your health.
Top 5 Benefits of Exercise for Adults Starting Later in Life
Focusing on strength, healthy aging, and overall health, here are the top five evidence-based benefits tailored for beginners. These aren’t about elite performance; they’re about sustainable gains that fit into real life that almost anyone can do.
1. Builds Strength and Muscle Mass
Resistance training, even started later, significantly boosts muscle strength and power in older adults. A 2025 review2 found that heavy strength training improves physical function and counters age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), helping you carry groceries or climb stairs with ease. For newcomers, simple bodyweight squats or wall pushes can yield noticeable improvements in weeks, enhancing daily independence. However, to see improvements over months, exercise needs to be continuously be more advanced. Doing the same workout over and over will lead to plateaus and end up wasting time. Even 90-years old with no previous experience in weight training, studies have shown an increase in strength by nearly 2x and walking speed being improved by nearly 50%.3
2. Enhances Cardiovascular Health
Exercise strengthens your heart and lungs, reducing risks of chronic diseases. Exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure and resting heart rate. While brisk walking or running will improve your cardiovascular health, it’s limited on it’s ability to preserve joint health and muscle function. Thats where strength training comes in.
3. Supports Healthy Aging and Longevity
Regular activity attenuates physical decline and extends healthspan. Meta-analyses confirm that exercise in midlife and beyond delays onset of 40 chronic conditions, from diabetes to osteoporosis. 4 Exercise is key to preserving health aging. This means being able to play with your grandkids, taking care of yourself so your family doesn’t have to, enjoying outdoor activities unassisted late into your life. Aging is much more than just how old you are. It’s also how young you feel. Think sharper mobility and fewer doctor visits—key for aging well.
4. Improves Mental Health and Cognitive Function
Beyond the body, exercise lifts mood and sharpens the mind. It releases endorphins to combat stress and anxiety, while aerobic efforts enhance brain health. For adults new to fitness, this means clearer thinking and reduced depression risk. A good dose of exercise will improve your mood, improve your sleep duration and sleep quality, and allow you to think more clearly throughout the day.
5. Boosts Overall Health and Daily Vitality
While exercise does take some time out of your day, the added energy that a workout routine can provide you may end up giving you more effective hours in your day. I define effective hours as hours where you are being productive, spending quality time with your family, and actually sleeping, not just laying in bed. You’ll feel more energized for work, family, or hobbies.
One thing to be aware of when it comes to exercise. If you are new, the first few weeks may lead you to feeling more tired. It can take some time before you start feeling more energy. As long as you are training for health, and not to be a top-tier athlete, exercise will lead to increased energy levels over time.
Exercise isn’t about becoming a gym rat overnight—it’s about outrunning your excuses, one step at a time. These benefits compound over time, proving that adults can thrive with consistent, beginner-friendly movement.
Debunking Common Myths: It’s Not Too Late, and You Do Have Time
One persistent myth is that it’s too late to start if you weren’t active young. Science debunks this: In the studies I’ve mentioned earlier in this blog, even institutionalized, frail, 90+ year olds, will benefit from strength training, improving their walking speed and ability to use stairs.
Another barrier? “I don’t have time.” Enter exercise snacks: short bursts of pushups and squats on-the-go in your office throughout the day to gain some benefit. Have a dumbbell in your office to perform some movements throughout the day. The hardest part about this is you must still increase the load and repetitions over time. Bodyweight workouts require no equipment—perfect if, like me in the past, gym access is limited. Progress comes from consistency, it’s not exclusive to those with hours in a facility. Start with what you have: brisk walks, assisted squats, pushups, chair dips, and inverted rows using a desk.
Simple Steps to Get Started
Ready to move? Start with a variation of pushups where you can perform 10 in a row. whether it’s knee pushups or against the bed. Then do some inverted rows using a solid desk or buy some dumbbells. Lastly, do a variation of squats where you can do full range of motion. Use a chair or table for assistance if necessary. Do these 3 times throughout your day in 3-5 minutes per set. This is a simple way to get started, but progressing can be quite challenging. If you need someone who can help you manage a workout from whatever your situation is, book a free consultation today to see if we are a good fit.
Disclaimer: This is general advice based on current evidence and should not replace personalized medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any exercise routine.
1)Long-Term Leisure-Time Physical Activity Intensity and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Cohort of US Adults | Circulation
2)Heavy Strength Training in Older Adults: Implications for Health, Disease and Physical Performance
3)High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians. Effects on skeletal muscle
4) Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW. Health Benefits of Exercise. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018 Jul 2;8(7):a029694. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694. PMID: 28507196; PMCID: PMC6027933.