Our efforts to encourage you to take up strength training have been strong and steady. As an essential form of exercise, strength training (also known as weight training or resistance training) can provide you with numerous physical and mental health benefits, in addition to improving your level of energy and stability to go about your everyday activities. Among the most important benefits to be gained by taking up strength training? You’ll improve everything from your flexibility and mobility to lowering your risk of falling. Your bones will get stronger and your brain will get a boost, especially in such areas as memory and attention span. We even have new research that ties strength training with the activation of the waste disposal system of your cells, which is essential for the long-term preservation of the muscle tissue in such organs as your heart. There really is no excuse for not engaging in twice-weekly sessions of strength training, as the CDC recommends. 

And yet….How many of you actually lift free weights, pull on weighted cables, or swing a kettlebell on a regular basis? While recent data is hard to come by, CDC data from 2020 suggests that only ¼ of adults engage in the recommended aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, and that number decreases with age among both men and women, The reluctance to take up weight lifting is perhaps understandable, even if it works against your own self-interest. Perhaps you fear injuring yourself. Perhaps you feel intimidated that people at a gym will judge you. Perhaps you worry you’re too weak or old (ironically, those worries would be easy to address with a gradual build-up of strength training activities). If these worries are keeping you weak and home-bound, there are plenty of resources out there to shore up your resolve and build up your confidence. And if you think you’re too old? Take a look at the strength-training journey of 81-year-old Nora Langdon, who at age 65 could barely walk up a staircase and now at age 81, is a world-champion weight lifter in her age group. Or consider this recent article in The Wall Street Journal, in which older women talk about the challenge and excitement of becoming “athletes” and engaging in strength training despite their increasing age.

There’s plenty of advice for those of you ready to get off the couch and onto a pulley machine at the gym. According to a recent “Life-Kit” segment from NPR, the best way to get started is to go slowly and gradually, to work your way up to heavier lifts, to record your progress, and to keep front and center the “why” of your workout: Why are you strength training? What are your goals? Is it more stability and less fear of falling? Is it to more energetically and smoothly undertake your daily tasks? Is it to improve your bone density and lower your risk of injury? These are important goals, all of which can be accomplished with a slow and steady weight-bearing routine. The New York Times also just released some recommendations for beginning a strength training routine at the gym, including a description and comparison of free weights (dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells) versus weight machines. While it’s always recommended that you start with at least a few sessions with a trainer to ensure proper form and movements that will support your goals, the bottom line, as the article states, is to “choose exercises based on the movements that help you perform most of your daily tasks. Include push and pull movements for your upper body; hip hinge, squat, and lunge movements for your lower body; and a movement that challenges your core.” The New York Times suggests a 25-minute strength workout for beginners. So put on your spandex and take a look here.

For those who prefer to do strength training in private, or prefer not to opt for gym membership, the opportunities to do a home-based strength-training routine are equally as robust. If you’d prefer not to purchase any equipment, you can take a look at these essential calisthenic exercises that rely on your own body weight to build muscle and strength. Of course, our favorite trainers from Yes2Next also have an array of at-home strength-building exercise videos to help you build up muscle and avoid boredom while working out at home. And if you’re planning to purchase some equipment to add to your workout, consider these recommendations for resistance bands, or opt for some dumbbells or kettlebells to supplement your collection. Whichever way you go- to the gym or in your home- your bones, brain, and body will thank you for strengthening your muscles.