Lifting weights after 60 may strengthen something most people never think about training: the muscles that help them breathe.
A randomized clinical trial involving 60 adults ages 60 to 75 found that 12 weeks of resistance training improved respiratory muscle strength while changing several biological markers associated with healthy aging. The findings, published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, suggest weightlifting’s benefits extend beyond visible muscle.
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The Biggest Change Wasn’t Muscle Size
Researchers randomly assigned participants to either a supervised resistance-training program or a control group. Thirty adults completed three weekly workouts for 12 weeks.
The results went beyond stronger hands and improved chair-standing performance.
Participants who lifted weights experienced significant improvements in maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, measurements of the muscles responsible for drawing air into the lungs and pushing it out.
The researchers described the improvements as “simultaneous respiratory, functional, and systemic biological adaptations.”
That matters because respiratory muscle strength can decline with age, potentially affecting physical resilience and everyday function.
Notably, changes in body measurements were modest. The improvements weren’t simply about building bigger muscles.
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Scientists Also Found a Surprising Aging-Related Change
The researchers measured several blood markers, including a protein called alpha-Klotho, which scientists study for its relationship to aging and cellular health.
After 12 weeks, the training group showed increased circulating Klotho and higher levels of the anti-inflammatory marker IL-10. Levels of IL-6, a marker involved in inflammation, declined.
The authors characterized the pattern as a “favorable anti-inflammatory and anti-aging response.”
But that doesn’t mean participants reversed aging or gained years of life. The trial was relatively small, lasted just three months, and didn’t measure long-term disease outcomes or lifespan.
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What the 12-Week Workout Actually Involved
Participants performed seven upper- and lower-body exercises, completing four sets of eight to 15 repetitions.
Loads progressed from approximately 65 percent to 80 percent of each participant’s one-repetition maximum, with supervision and individual adjustments.
The researchers emphasized that the program shouldn’t be treated as an “optimal or universal prescription.”
For adults over 60, the practical takeaway is straightforward: progressive strength training may benefit more than the muscles you see in the mirror. Even the muscles involved in breathing appear to respond.
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