Strength
IN THIS LESSON
For many women, strength training has been marketed as a way to change how they look. While building muscle can certainly change your body composition, the greatest benefits have very little to do with appearance.
Strength training helps preserve muscle as we age, supports healthy bones, improves insulin sensitivity, boosts metabolism, increases energy, and helps maintain balance and independence later in life. It also plays an important role in reducing the risk of falls, improving mental health, and making everyday activities easier.
I like to think of muscle as your retirement account for health. The more you invest in it today, the more it pays you back in the decades ahead.
Strength training isn't about becoming smaller.
It's about becoming stronger.
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Thisis a classic position stand explaining the benefits of resistance training for health, function, and disease prevention.
This recommends muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week for adults and explains the health benefits.
American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar;41(3):687-708. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670. PMID: 19204579.