Because of the type of development, strengthening, conditioning and transforming involved with internal styles, a person has no limitations due to advanced or advancing age. A person can train in internal styles far beyond the years and age that limitations would start interfering with training in external styles. Because you can continue to train in internal styles as long as you live, you continue to increase your chi and internal strength, and condition your muscles and tendons as long as you train. In turn, as you continue your practice and training, you increase your chi energy and internal strength, preserving and promoting life longevity. You also keep your body youthful, conditioned and toned.
Power is manifest and applied differently with internal styles than with external styles.
Internal styles use body posture, alignment, positioning, breathing, whole body movement, speed, and at higher levels of proficiency and mastery, chi projection to deliver devastating and lethal power and energy to and through the point of contact or impact, when defending against or attacking an opponent. With this kind of energy and power, there is the ability to direct the energy of a defense or attack deep into the body of an adversary, resulting in broken bones, damaged or ruptured internal organs, blood vessels or arteries. It must be pointed out that it takes many years of dedicated continued and persistent training and practice, to get to the levels of mastery that enables the ability to project chi. But the internal styles are very effective, devastating and lethal without the mastery of chi projection. They emphasize muscular development, conditioning and the strengthening of the body externally, leading to increased muscle size and mass, and external physical strength.