Some days, the hardest part of training is getting out the door.
You planned to go. Then the morning got busy, the weather turned lousy, or the chair became unusually comfortable. Chairs are good at that.
Having someone expect you can help. A familiar face, a little conversation, and a friendly “See you next time” can give your plans some staying power.
That matters when you're trying to build a habit you can keep.
Give yourself a reason to come back
A recent review of research involving older adults found a positive relationship between some forms of social support and physical activity. The findings varied, and most studies couldn't establish cause and effect. It doesn't prove that bringing a friend will make you exercise more. It does give us a reason to pay attention to the people around a training habit.[1]
You might appreciate having someone to walk in with. You might enjoy getting to know the people who train at the same time you do. Or you might value a coach who knows your name and helps you get started.
You don't need a room full of lifelong friends on your first day. A welcoming place and a few familiar faces are a good beginning.
Give your training a way to grow
Once you're there, the work needs a purpose.
For adults over 50, strength training can support the strength and physical function used in daily life.[2] Think about carrying groceries, moving a bag of soil, or standing up from the floor. Those are useful reasons to train.
As you learn an exercise and get stronger, your training can change with you. You might use a little more resistance, complete an additional repetition, or move with better control. Research with older adults supports structured strength training that increases the challenge over time.[3]
The right starting point and the next step will look different for different people.
You and a friend can train beside each other while using different weights. You can encourage each other without turning every exercise into a contest. Nobody needs a grocery-carrying championship, although I suspect somebody would enter.
Let coaching help with the next step
One question I want people to feel comfortable asking is, “What should I do from here?”
Maybe an exercise still feels unfamiliar. Maybe the weight that challenged you at first has become comfortable. Coaching helps you work through those decisions instead of guessing your way through another session.
At CR8 Fitness in Epsom, Nancy and I bring that coaching to small-group training. You can have people around you while working from an appropriate starting point of your own.
You also don't need to recruit a friend before you begin. Coming on your own is a perfectly good way to meet the people you'll train with.
If you've been thinking about getting stronger, Contact Us Today for your Free Starter Session!
- Functional social support and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health (2026). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-28972-z — 54 studies, 252,206 participants; 49 cross-sectional studies. Associations differed by support and activity measures, with high heterogeneity. Avoid causal or guaranteed-adherence claims.
- Fragala et al. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association (2019). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31343601/ — supports resistance training for strength and functional benefits; does not establish results for CR8 specifically.
- Buskard et al. Optimal Approach to Load Progressions during Strength Training in Older Adults (2019). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31107348/ — randomized trial of 82 older adults comparing four ways to progress load during structured training. Methods produced similar strength and functional outcomes; it does not prove that any particular group setting or coaching business produces better results.