I want to let you in on something I’ve been quietly working on for a little while: a book. Its working title is called Strength After 50, and if you’re a busy professional juggling work, family, and approximately nine other things before breakfast, I think it might just be for you.

Why now?

Here’s the thing. So much of what we’re told about ageing and strength is, frankly, out of date, which makes it very annoying for a pedant like me. The old story goes something like this: you hit a certain age, your body starts winding down, and the best you can hope for is to slow the decline. Muscle loss, stiff joints, low energy; they are all just part of the deal, apparently.

Except it isn’t. Not any more.

Over the past couple of decades, there’s been a genuine explosion of research into how our bodies respond to strength training as we get older, and the findings are honestly astounding and thrilling. Study after study shows that muscle is remarkably responsive to the right kind of demand, at any age. The body you have at 52, or 58, 65 or even into your 90s is still very much capable of adapting, rebuilding, and getting stronger. I’ve spent a long time reading through this science so that you don’t have to, and pulling out what actually matters for people living real, busy lives. You don’t have to be a  professional athlete with hours to spare and a personal chef on standby to benefit. You just need to make some small changes and stick with them to see the benefits.

What the book is really about

Strength After 50 isn’t a boot camp in book form. It’s not going to shout at you about discipline or make you feel guilty for missing a session. If anything, it’s the opposite. It’s built around a few simple truths that I think you already know, deep down, even if life, society and the media (old school and social) makes them easy to forget:

It’s never too late to start. Whatever your starting point, there’s a version of this that works for you.

Cut yourself some slack. Progress isn’t a straight line, and treating yourself with a bit of kindness will get you further than treating yourself like a drill sergeant ever will.

Rest matters as much as effort. Recovery isn’t the boring bit in between the “real” work, but rather it could be argued that it’s when the real work actually happens.

Eat well, not perfectly. Good, sensible nourishment beats any faddy diet you’ll abandon by in a few weeks.

Do what you can, with what you’ve got, when you’ve got it. Fifteen minutes counts. A single set counts. Showing up counts.

Watch out for the all-or-nothing trap. Missing one session doesn’t undo your progress, but deciding to give up because you missed one just might.

What to expect

More details about the book will be coming soon, possibly including how to get your hands on an early copy. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you: what’s the biggest thing getting in the way of you feeling strong right now? Reply and let me know; it might just help me shape a chapter.

Until next time – go gently, but go.

P.S. Know someone who’d enjoy this? Feel free to forward it on.