A lot of people think sarcopenia means age-related loss of muscle mass. But this is not what it means!

This week on the Movement Logic podcast, Laurel and Sarah unpack sarcopenia: what it actually is, why the definition has changed over time, and why losing strength and power matters more than losing muscle mass. They walk through the evolution from a tissue-focused understanding of sarcopenia to a function-focused one. Learn how the nervous system plays a major role in aging-related decline, and how this explains a far more rapid loss of strength and an even more rapid loss of power. They discuss why resistance training is essential if you want to maintain independence, reduce fall risk, and preserve the ability to do the things you love as you age. They also discuss why yoga, Pilates, walking, and cardio alone are not enough to prevent sarcopenia, and why training strength and power is non-negotiable for long-term physical function.

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RESOURCES

GUARDIAN ARTICLE - We were asked to weigh in about Stacy Sims advice

EPISODE - Barbell Medicine on Sarcopenia

127: ASCM says K.I.S.S.

94: Capacities for Longevity - Power

CLARK, 2008 - PMID: 18772470

CLARK, 2012 - PMID: 22469110

MITCHELL, 2012 - PMID: 22934016

REID, 2012 - PMID: 22016147

European Working Group position stand 2018 - PMID: 30312372

European Working Group position stand 2010 - PMID: 20392703

BHASIN, 2020 (SDOC Paper) - PMID: 32150289

TØIEN, 2023 - PMID: 37881849

WIEGMANN, 2021 - PMID: 33657752

TØIEN, 2023 - PMID: 36442699

In this episode, we break down what drives fall risk, and why the common advice to “just work on your balance” falls short. We explore how falls are measured, what balance tests really tell us (and what they don’t), and why improving a test score doesn’t automatically mean you’re less likely to fall in real life.

We dig into the evidence on exercise and fall prevention, and explain why simpler, consistent exercise programs often outperform more complex approaches. We also look at surprising findings, like a randomized trial where a yoga group fell more than the control group, and what that reveals about confidence vs actual capacity.

From there, we focus on what matters most: power, reaction time, and the ability to recover from instability. Most falls aren’t failures of static balance; they’re failures to respond quickly when something goes wrong.

Finally, we cover what almost no one talks about: what happens after you fall. We discuss “long lies,” why getting up off the floor is a critical independence skill, and how a small amount of targeted practice can make a meaningful difference.

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RESOURCES

• CDC data on falls in older adults
• 2024 Korean study on fear of falling
• 2024 JAMA / USPSTF systematic review
• 2025 SAGE RCT, Iyengar yoga and falls
• 2020 Sherrington et al. Cochrane Review
• 2017 Sherrington et al. Cochrane Review
• 2022 Simpkins et al. power vs strength
• 2025 Zhu et al. power and fall prediction
• 2021 Okubo et al. stepping impairments and fall risk
• 2022 Devasahayam et al. reactive balance training
• Sheffield Long Lies Study
• Floor Rise Training Trial

In this episode, we break down the new 2026 American College of Sports Medicine position stand on resistance training—and why it’s not what the internet gurus were hoping for.

Instead of doubling down on rigid rules, this update does the opposite: it expands the evidence base, loosens the prescriptions, and makes one thing very clear—there is no single “best” way to train. Most resistance training works. What matters more is consistency, effort, and aligning your training with your actual goals.

We unpack what the ACSM looked at (including 137 systematic reviews and over 30,000 participants), what’s changed since 2009, and what the evidence actually says about strength, hypertrophy, power, endurance, and physical function. We also break down why “optimization” is often overhyped, why going from nothing to something is still the biggest win, and how power training may play a bigger role in real-life function than you think.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting fitness advice—or like you’re doing it “wrong”—this episode will simplify what actually matters and what you can safely ignore.

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Resources:

ACSM 2026 Position Stand

ACSM 2009 Position Stand

POST about “strength span” from Stronger by Science

(Nuzzo, 2024) PMID: 38781472