Photograph courtesy of Stronger Now Gym
As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, accelerating after age 50. This can lead to decreased endurance, strength, and flexibility, all of which are important for daily functions like balance, stability, and coordination. That’s something Alex Mitchell, the founder of Stronger Now Gym in Sandy Springs, wants to change for his clients.
Mitchell started in traditional fitness, working as a personal training manager for brands like Crunch and L.A. Fitness. “All my trainers wanted to work with the same kind of client, someone between 15 and 45 who was generally healthy and had specific goals,” he says. No one wanted to work out with older clients, but Mitchell loved them. “They had great stories, were generally easy to work with, and stayed consistent,” he says.
Photograph courtesy of Stronger Now Gym
That experience led him to believe that there was a need for a gym just for these clients. He opened in 2020, exclusively catering to an over-50 crowd. Stronger Now Gym offers personal training sessions and group training sessions where clients can get stronger with dedicated support from trained professionals who understand their unique needs, whether it’s to pick up a heavy grandchild in a supported way or meet a swimming goal at their local gym.
“In exercise, you have to walk the line between doing enough to make the change so that you’re better and stronger, but overdoing it can cause injury or acute soreness. That line is thick and easy to walk when you’re in your 20s, and it gets thinner as you age,” he says.
Photograph courtesy of Stronger Now Gym
While Mitchell and his team train everyone individually, there’s a common thread. “Our clients come to us because they have noticed their bodies are losing capacity that they’re not willing to go without,” he says. He and his team of certified professional barbell coaches, exercise physiologists, biomedical physiologists, and lifestyle medicine practitioners help them get stronger to retain those abilities under unique supervision where trainers can take into account things like medical history and previous injury.
One of the most important parts of Stronger Now Gym is the social aspect. “We know we need to exercise, eat healthy, and be social [to age well],” he says. “The social part of this gym has taken off. Our clients are all in a similar stage of life, so it’s easy for them to make friends, something that’s incredibly important for this population.”
