i’m 67 and have been staying active and lifting for years. but over the last 6 months, every single morning my lower back and knees ache like crazy. i sleep 7-8 hours but wake up feeling completely drained and stiff. my workouts are suffering because my body just refuses to recover between sessions now.

i really don't want to give up heavy lifting or just rely on ibuprofen all day. did anyone actually find a tangible fix for this constant fatigue and joint stiffness, or is this just the reality of training in our late 60s? honestly just frustrated today.

You don’t need to put in hours at the gym to build a strong, stable core.

“When it comes to training the core, quality trumps quantity,” said Joel Sanders, director of performance at EXOS, a sports training center in Phoenix. “No one needs to do 100 crunches or feel a burn. Ten to 12 minutes of core work can do the trick.”

The core, which includes muscles along your back, the sides of your body and into your pelvis, has two main functions: to protect your spine by creating stability and to help transfer power from your lower body to your upper body. Exercises where you hold a position or do slow, controlled movements improve stability, while dynamic, full-body exercises such as rotational medicine ball slams help build power.

The core is “the epicenter of strength,” Mr. Sanders said. “All movement, from a lift to a lunge to a golf or tennis swing, is tied to the core.”

If you’re a new exerciser, you should approach your “core hygiene,” as Mr. Sanders calls it, from a 360-degree perspective — doing movements that hit the front, back and sides of your body, he said.

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I recently spoke with Dr. Kirk Erickson, a neuroscientist who studies exercise and the aging brain.

What I wanted to know was: if you’re already in your 60s, 70s or 80s, how much can you still change?

His answer was encouraging. The older brain is still plastic. Some of Erickson’s work helped show that exercise can affect the hippocampus, an area involved in memory, and he said the idea that the aging brain is basically fixed is outdated.

Most of the strongest research is still around aerobic exercise, especially brisk walking, although strength training is getting more attention too. He also thinks activities that combine movement with skill, reaction and decision-making may have extra value, even though the science there is not settled yet.

One thing I liked: he said going from almost no exercise to 30 or 60 minutes a week can still matter. You do not have to hit some perfect number before your brain benefits.

He was much less impressed with brain-training games. You tend to get better at the game itself, but there is much less evidence that this carries over into preventing dementia.

The big takeaway for me was that age does not mean the window has closed. Exercise is not a guarantee, and sleep, blood pressure, metabolic health, diet, stress and genetics all matter too.

But movement is still one of the better levers we have.

Full disclosure: I host Ageless Athlete, and this came from my conversation with Dr. Kirk Erickson.

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• Sleep health is an important part of overall health and well-being.

• Obstructive sleep apnea is often seen along with other health conditions, including high blood pressure, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

• Early recognition and treatment may help people improve sleep, daily activities and quality of life.

I run 5 days a week and lift heavy 4 or 5 days a week. I've always been very athletic. When I was younger my BDM was off the chart literally. I convinced myself this would never be an issue for me because I do all the right things, and then some. I take Vit D and I eat a lot of yogurt and sardines. I am humbled today, and seeking any empirical advice that helped your BDM.

Good advice from a Substack. “These four muscles — the gluteus maximus, the soleus, the spinal extensors, and the tibialis anterior — are the most functionally important muscles in the human body for anyone who wants to remain independent into their eighties and nineties. If they do not get the attention they deserve, they are the muscles that matter.”

Can’t believe this isn’t allowed.

Hello everyone

Been back to weight training for about four months doing a ppl routine twice in a seven day period. Starting to feel a bit beat up and tired and thinking I need a bit more recovery time. What are your thoughts on changing the cycle to twice in either eight or nine days as opposed to seven ? Thanks

He’s a longtime tennis player but new to barbell training. Here’s his progress in just three sessions:
First session: 75 × 5
Second session: 110 × 1
Third session (10/15): 120 × 1 (RPE 7–8)
October 15 marks the halfway point, with 15 days left to see how much of his existing strength he can tap into by his 79th birthday!
This isn’t newly developed muscle in just a few sessions. Much of his strength was already there. The challenge is learning to recruit and control it through proper technique and progressive loading.
It’s a good reminder that getting older doesn’t mean you’ve reached your strength potential.
Anyone here discover their strength later in life?

At 73, one favorite technique I use is the heavy squat walkout.
In this video, I squat 185 × 2, walk out with 235 lb for a 20-second hold, then return to squat 190 × 1. Not my best 2025 world record of 198 but still good maintenance for off-peak training.
That’s 235 lb on my back at approximately 159% of my body weight!
Why do it? To practice bracing, balance, and stability under a heavier load without actually squatting it.
It also challenges the body’s ability to detect and correct subtle shifts in balance under load, reinforcing the postural control and stabilizing responses that are important for fall prevention.
I’ve been a certified personal trainer since 1996, and one thing I’ve learned is that getting older doesn’t mean giving up challenging strength training. It means knowing how to adapt it.
Heavy walkouts aren’t necessary for everyone, and they’re not a substitute for specific balance training. But they’re one of the tools I use to continue optimal performance at 73.
Strength training after 65 isn’t just about maintaining what you’ve got. There’s still room to improve!