COVID-19 pandemic is an urgent time for older people to practice resistance exercise at home

Social distancing measures have been used to contain the COVID-19 pandemic; nevertheless, it causes unintended greater time at home and consequently a reduction in general physical activity and an increase in sedentary time, which is harmful to older people. A decrease in daily physical activities and an increase in sedentary time culminates in an impactful skeletal muscle disuse period and reduction in neuromuscular abilities related to functional capacity. Home-based resistance training is a strategy to mitigate physical inactivity and improve or retain muscle function and functional performance. Therefore, it is an urgent time to encourage older people to perform resistance exercises at home to avoid a harmful functional decline and promote physical health. •Skeletal muscle disuse is related to reduction in neuromuscular abilities associated to functional capacity in older people;•COVID-19 pandemic promotes unintended physical inactivity and increased sedentary time;•Home-based resistance training is effective to improve or retain muscle and functional performance in older people;•It is an urgent time to encourage older people to perform resistance exercises at home to promote physical health.