The Power of Physical Resilience in Aging Well

As we age, our ability to respond to and recover from life’s physical stressors — illness, injury, or hospitalization — becomes increasingly important. This ability is known as physical resilience. While frailty describes a person’s vulnerability to decline after a stressor, resilience captures the opposite: one’s capacity to withstand and recover from it.

Older gentleman boxing.

The Role of Physiological Reserve

At the heart of physical resilience is the concept of physiological reserve — essentially your body’s built-in buffer. It’s the extra capacity your muscles, heart, and other systems have to handle stress. When we’re young and healthy, physiological reserves are high; but with age, inactivity, or chronic illness, reserves gradually decline. 

The good news? You can build your reserve at any age. Your body has an incredible ability to adapt and grow stronger when you challenge it in the right way.

The Science Behind Resilience

• Strength and muscle reserve: Studies show that muscle mass and strength are among the strongest predictors of resilience. Greater grip strength and leg power are associated with lower risk of disability, hospitalization, and mortality (Cooper et al., BMJ, 2010). Progressive resistance training — even in adults well into their 80s and 90s — can significantly improve muscle reserve and recovery potential (J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2019).

  
  

• Cardiovascular and metabolic flexibility: Regular aerobic exercise (like walking, cycling, or swimming) enhances the heart and lungs’ reserve capacity, improving oxygen delivery and metabolic efficiency — meaning your body becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen and energy during times of stress or recovery.

  
  

• Neuroplasticity and balance: Exercise stimulates the nervous system’s adaptability, improving coordination, balance, and reaction time, which helps reduce fall risk and maintain independence.

  
  

Strategies to Build Physical Resilience

1. Challenge your body regularly. Strength and balance training twice a week can make a huge impact. Think sit-to-stands, step-ups, squats, or simple resistance band exercises.

   
   

2. Move more, every day. Even when energy is low, short walks or light activity helps support circulation, mobility, and endurance.

   
   

3. Fuel for Repair. Adequate protein (1.0–1.2 g per kilogram body weight per day for most older adults) supports muscle recovery and regeneration. Dehydration can impair muscle function, reduce endurance, and increase the risk of falls. To stay well hydrated target 8–10 glasses (64–80 ounces) of fluid per day.

4. Build recovery habits. Sleep, hydration, and pacing after illness or exertion are essential for restoring reserves.  True resilience means knowing when to rest and when to push.

   
   

5. Track your function, not just your symptoms. Pay attention to how easily you can get up from a chair, walk across the room, or carry groceries — these are everyday markers of physical resilience.

   
   

The Takeaway

Physical resilience isn’t just about avoiding decline — it’s about expanding your body’s capacity to cope, adapt, and recover from physical stressors.  At Livefit Wellness, the focus is on building individualized programs that optimize strength, balance, and endurance to enhance your body’s reserves and support healthy, active aging.  Let’s build your resilience together.

— Andrea Cziprusz, PT, DPT | LiveFit Nashville

References

1. Chhetri, J. K., de Souto Barreto, P., Vellas, B., & Cesari, M. (2017). Physiological reserve and resilience in aging: Conceptual and methodological issues. Journal of Gerontology: Series A, 72(9), 1249–1251. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx103

2. Cooper, R., Kuh, D., & Hardy, R. (2010). Objectively measured physical capability levels and mortality: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 341, c4467. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c4467

3. Peterson, M. D., & Gordon, P. M. (2011). Resistance exercise for the aging adult: Clinical implications and prescription guidelines. American Journal of Medicine, 124(3), 194–198.

4. Izquierdo, M., Cadore, E. L., Casas-Herrero, A., et al. (2019). Multicomponent physical exercise program for older adults: The EXERNET Multi-Center Study. Journal of Gerontology: Series A, 74(8), 1326–1333.