Move it or Lose it is closing the Strength Gap for Older Adults
Summary
Strength isn’t a trend. It’s essential — and Move it or Lose it is helping older adults make it happen.
At a time when national data shows older adults are the least likely to meet muscle-strengthening guidelines, our members are bucking the trend. Why? Because strength at Move it or Lose it isn’t intimidating, aesthetic or gym-focused — it’s structured, progressive and built around real life.
We provide the clarity, specialist instruction, safe progressions and community support that older adults need to train consistently and confidently. And when those foundations are in place, people don’t just attend — they increase frequency, build resilience and meet (often exceed) the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of strength training at least twice a week.
Shaping a New Era of Strength Training
Earlier this month, ukactive’s “Shaping a New Era of Strength Training” report, produced in partnership with Les Mills, highlighted a national challenge.
Older adults are the least likely to strength train. Awareness of the guidelines falls to just 9% among Baby Boomers and 7% among the Silent Generation. More than half of adults aged 65+ report doing no strength training at all.
So we asked our own community a simple question:
What’s really happening inside Move it or Lose it?
The response tells a very different story.
Our Members Are Bucking the National Trend
We surveyed hundreds of Move it or Lose it class members across the UK. The majority were aged 60+, with:
- 58% aged 70–79
- 16% aged 80+
- Nearly 2% aged 90+
This is exactly the age group the national data shows is least likely to strength train.
And yet:
- 47% are engaging in strength training twice a week or more
- A further 50% are doing it once a week
- Fewer than 4% reported doing strength work less than once a week
In other words, almost every single respondent is doing some form of structured strengthening exercise — at an age where nationally, participation drops off dramatically.
Experts agree that this isn’t simply encouraging — it’s significant.
Professor Janet Lord CBE, founding Director of the MRC-Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research at the University of Birmingham, says:
“Strength training is one of the most powerful interventions we have to prevent frailty, maintain independence and reduce demand on health and care services. Yet too few older adults currently achieve the recommended guidelines. This data from Move it or Lose it shows that when programmes are designed appropriately for older people and delivered in supportive community settings, participation and outcomes improve dramatically. Scaling this kind of provision should be a national priority.”
Strength That Translates to Real Life
The most powerful data isn’t frequency.
It’s function.
We asked members what feels easier since joining Move it or Lose it.
They told us:
- 70% find getting up from a chair easier
- 43% find climbing stairs easier
- 42% can walk longer distances
- 35% find carrying shopping easier
- 34% find getting down to and up from the floor easier
- 29% say lifting kettles or pans feels easier
These are independence milestones.
This is strength for daily living.
Physical Strength Is Improving — And So Is Confidence
When asked whether they feel physically stronger since joining:
- 43% said much stronger
- 50% said a little stronger
- Fewer than 7% reported no change
- Just 0.5% said they felt weaker
That means over 92% feel stronger.
Even more compelling:
- 68% believe strength training through Move it or Lose it is definitely helping them stay independent
- A further 30% say it is probably helping
That’s 98% who believe their independence is being protected through structured strength training.
At a time when falls cost the NHS £2.3bn annually and frailty rates are rising, this is not small impact.
This is preventative health in action.
Reaching the Generations Who Need It Most
The national report shows older adults are:
- Least aware of the guidelines
- Least confident about how to start
- Most likely to report doing no strength training
Yet Move it or Lose it members — predominantly aged 70+ — are:
- Engaging weekly
- Reporting functional improvements
- Building confidence
- Connecting socially
This does not happen by accident.
It happens because the environment is different.
Our classes are:
✔ Evidence-based
✔ Designed specifically for ageing physiology
✔ Supportive and social
✔ Structured around Flexibility, Aerobic fitness, Balance and Strength
And crucially — they are designed to feel achievable.
Helping Members Meet — and Move Beyond — the Guidelines
The Chief Medical Officer recommends muscle-strengthening activity at least twice per week.
We’ve built a pathway that makes that realistic.
Weekly Move it or Lose it Classes
Structured strength, balance and functional training in community settings.
Strength & Balance Circuits Classes
Launched in 2025 to help members progressively increase resistance, improve reaction time and safely build muscle — ideal for those ready to move from one session to two.
Move it or Lose it Online Club
Live and on-demand sessions remove transport and confidence barriers and allow members to increase frequency safely at home.
Our Move it or Lose it YouTube channel provides a growing library of free, accessible strength, balance and mobility sessions. Instructors actively share a new video from the channel with their classes each month, encouraging members to build extra activity into their week in a safe, structured way.
This simple, consistent prompt helps members move from “once a week” to embedding strength habits across multiple days — without intimidation or cost barriers.
Our practical guide reinforces technique, understanding and habit-building so members feel confident practising between sessions.
Because strength isn’t built in a single hour.
It’s built through consistency.
And our data shows consistency is happening.
Confidence Changes Behaviour
Nationally, lack of confidence is a major barrier to strength training — particularly among older women and those with health conditions.
Inside Move it or Lose it, that confidence is growing.
When 70% of members report that getting up from a chair feels easier, that’s not just strength.
- That’s reduced fear of falling.
- That’s a greater willingness to go out.
- That’s increased social participation.
- That’s mental resilience.
Strength becomes a gateway to independence.
Strength Is Not a Trend. It’s Infrastructure.
While Gen Z may discover strength training through gym culture and social media, older adults need:
- Clarity
- Specialist instruction
- Safe progressions
- Community
- Encouragement
Our survey shows that when those elements are in place, older adults engage — and they improve.
This isn’t about aesthetics.
>It’s not about lifting heavy.
>It’s not about gym intimidation.
It’s about:
- Standing up unaided
- Carrying shopping
- Walking further
- Staying steady
- Staying independent
That is what shaping a new era of strength training truly looks like.
And our members are already living it.
About This Data
This report is based on 185 responses from Move it or Lose it class members across the UK, collected in February 2026.