When Donna D. walked into her first session with Reno personal trainer Paul Fischer on a friend’s recommendation, she was 47, an avid cyclist, and feeling excited. She had a century ride she wanted to finish and an overuse injury from the year before that made her question whether her body would cooperate.

“We discussed my goals and started on the journey to keep my training safe and effective,” says Donna. “I did complete that century later in the year. And due to Paul’s expertise, I wanted to continue working out with him.”

Fifteen years later, at 62, Donna has trained with Paul through osteoporosis and injuries — the kinds of injuries that can really sideline people. Through it all, “Paul has tailored my workouts to my needs,” she says.

Donna’s story is the clearest answer to the question Paul hears most often from adults over 50: Is it too late for me?

Why is weight training important as you get older?

Adults begin losing muscle mass steadily after roughly age 30, and the rate accelerates after 60. That loss — called sarcopenia — is directly tied to falls, fractures, loss of independence, and declining bone density. Resistance training is the most effective intervention we have for slowing and partially reversing it. Cardio alone won’t do it.

Donna understood this before her diagnosis ever made it urgent: “I have always been physically active and believe weight training is important, especially the older we become.”

She was already cycling seriously and doing Pilates. What she was missing was load — the specific stimulus that tells muscle and bone to hold their ground.

Can you lift weights if you have osteoporosis?

Yes — and for most people, you should. Progressive resistance training and weight-bearing movement are among the few things shown to help maintain bone mineral density.What changes after an osteoporosis diagnosis isn’t whether you train, but how: loading patterns get adjusted, certain spinal flexion and high-torque rotational movements get modified or removed, and progression gets slower and more deliberate.

That’s a programming problem, not a reason to stop. Donna’s diagnosis didn’t end her training.It reshaped it.

What happens when injury or surgery interrupts your training?

Over fifteen years, Donna had a foot surgery and a fully torn hamstring requiring surgical repair and rehab, “none related to the good work I do with Paul.” Life happens to active bodies, and what matters is what happened next. Donna didn’t disappear for a year and try to restart from zero. Instead, Paul adapted around the injury and kept training everything that could be trained safely. “He’s closely working with my physical therapist to help accomplish my rehab and strengthening goals for my hamstring,” noted Donna.

Is it ever too late to start weight training?

No. Research on resistance training in adults in their 70s, 80s, and beyond consistently shows meaningful gains in strength, mobility, and functional independence. The starting point matters far less than the consistency that follows it.

Here’s Donna’s advice to anyone reading this who’s on the fence: “For older adults, I would tell people to just get started or keep going where you are. Weight training is necessary for our muscles to stay strong. You are never too old to start weight training.It really could save your life. It has me.”

Her husband started at a point in life when plenty of people are winding down. He’s 72 and still training.

Aging gracefully is a training decision

“I believe, and I know Paul does too, to age gracefully and be able to stay active is an achievable goal as long as we keep moving,” says Donna.

That’s the whole philosophy. Not chasing a number you hit at 35 — building the capacity to keep doing the things you actually care about. For Donna, that was a century ride at 47. Now it’s walking without a limp, protecting her bones, and staying independent. “Having someone like Paul is invaluable to me,” says Donna. “I told him he can never retire. I need him for the rest of my life.”

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