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There was a time when strength training was seen purely as a way to build muscle. It was often seen as something that only men would do, and really only if they wanted to look bigger and bulkier or gain a ‘six-pack’.
I started strength training around 10 years ago, and it’s something I’m incredibly passionate about encouraging others to do because of the results I’ve seen myself.
Not just because it can help you build muscle, but because the benefits go so much further than how you look (spoiler alert, strength training doesn’t automatically make you ‘bulky’!).
Strength training is relevant to pretty much all of us. We need strength to carry the shopping, pick up our children, walk the dog, climb the stairs and keep doing the things we love as we get older.there’s also a growing body of research linking strength and resistance training with better long-term health.Here are three reasons I think it deserves a place in all of our routines:
Strength training supports healthy ageing and longevity
We naturally lose muscle mass and strength as we get older, particularly if we’re not doing anything to actively maintain it. Strength training is one of the best tools we have to help counteract this.
Remember that it isn’t about wanting to stay strong in the gym (although this may be important to some), but maintaining muscle and strength can help us stay mobile, independent and capable of doing everyday tasks as we age.
We focus so much on what exercise can do for us now that we forget we’re also training for our future selves.
We actually start losing muscle earlier than most people realise and from around age 30 we can naturally lose approximately 3-5% per decade, with that decline becoming more significant as we get older, particularly if we’re inactive.
Being able to get up from a chair, carry shopping, travel, play with your children or grandchildren, and live independently are all things we want to maintain for as long as possible.
Strength training supports bone and metabolic health
Muscle gets a lot of attention when we talk about strength training, but our bones benefit too. Resistance training places controlled stress on our bones, encouraging them to adapt and helping to maintain bone strength and density. This becomes increasingly important as we age and naturally lose bone mass, particularly for women as we move through midlife and beyond.
Our muscles are one of the main places our bodies use and store glucose, so regularly using them through resistance training can improve insulin sensitivity and help our bodies manage blood sugar more effectively. .
Having more muscle can also contribute to an increase in our overall daily energy expenditure (the calories we burn), which may support weight management too.
Strength training improves everyday strength and quality of life
One of my favourite things about strength training is that your progress impacts everyday life.
You might start because you want to feel fitter or stronger, but then notice you can lift a heavy suitcase with ease, feel less fatigued walking uphill, move better on a tennis court, or tackle DIY tasks without thinking twice. Yes, it can be great to have aesthetic goals, but being strong enough to live your life feeling strong is often overlooked.
3 tips to start strength training
1. Start with two full body sessions a week. You really don’t need to jump straight into training five days a week. Two well-structured sessions that are 30 mins long can be a great starting point. The most important thing is creating a routine that you can actually stick to consistently.
2. Focus on the basics. You don’t need complicated exercises or long workouts. Build your sessions around basic movement patterns such as squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling and carrying. Learn how to perform them well, then gradually increase the challenge over time.
3. Track your progress. One of the biggest mistakes I see is doing completely different workouts every week and not staying consistent with exercise progression. Keep a note of your exercises, weights and repetitions, and aim to gradually progress them. That might mean lifting a little more weight, completing another rep, or simply performing an exercise with better control.
Strength training doesn’t have to be extreme, intimidating or something that takes over your life. A couple of consistent sessions each week can make a meaningful difference, and the goal isn’t just to build muscle for now, but to build a stronger, more capable body that supports you for years to come. Possibly don’t need this.
