If you have already been doing this for many years, don't stop after fifty. The years your body needs heavy exercise the most are after fifty. There are two groups out there, reading this. The first group has been training with resistance exercise for a number of years, and now after 50 they are considering tapering off by changing the type of exercise they do, or quitting altogether. To those considering reducing the heavy weight training to a much lighter form of exercise, and thus assuming that cardiovascular work is all they need -consider this.
Heavy exercise increases bone density and thus more protection against fractures.
Keeping your muscles, tendons, ligaments and vertebra strong is the best protection against injuries as you age. Gradually getting weaker is a sure road to faster aging and ultimately, failure of all body functions . To those considering quitting weight training, there are two things you should consider before making a decision. To stay that way for a long time, you need to keep on with vigorous weight training. The best form of health insurance for a lifetime is to maintain regular, heavy, weight training.