The Over 40 Handbook: Do you get weaker when you get older?

Short answer: No, but it's use it or lose it.

Long answer:

Up to 80 years old, you don't lose speed, stamina or reflexes compared to 30 years old unless you stop being active.

A medical study looked at folks who stayed competitively active in bicycling, running and swimming between 30 and 80 years old. In competition athletes, there was no significant loss of performance between 30 and 80 years of age!

Now, agreed no one is comparing any of these folks to contact sports athletes or 16 year olds. But, it does show that you can keep your physical fitness and reflexes at 30 year old levels for the next half a century if you keep using your muscles.

Even if you don't perform at competition levels, exercising and walking regularly helps to maintain a healthy weight, prevents high blood pressure and diabetes, and also helps to maintain good bone density and prevent falls.

Use it or lose it!