Strong enough for ordinary life
Updated: 21 hours ago
The useful kind of strength follows you home.
Carrying groceries. Lifting a suitcase. Getting up from the floor without first negotiating the terms.
Ordinary life asks a great deal of the body.
Strength training has something useful to offer here. Muscle-strengthening activity can support physical function and make everyday tasks easier. Maintaining strength matters as we get older. [3]
This gives movement a very personal purpose. Perhaps you want to carry your own luggage comfortably or feel more capable on the stairs. Those are worthwhile reasons to train.
For adults, NHS guidance recommends activities that strengthen all major muscle groups on at least two days each week, alongside aerobic activity. [4] You can begin by looking at the week you actually have.
Give strength a place in the week
Choose two days when a suitable strength session could fit. If you are new to resistance exercise, arrange an introduction with a qualified instructor who can help you start at an appropriate level.
Resistance can come from weights, bands, equipment or your own body weight. The exercises should work your muscles, with a challenge suited to your current ability. As you improve, your programme can progress with you. [4]
Choose one everyday task you would like to feel more confident doing. Keep it in mind over the following weeks. It gives you a useful reason to return, even when the novelty of a new routine has worn off.
We like a practice that stays useful after the mat is rolled away. Strength has a place in that.
A good reason to build it is having more freedom to get on with your life.
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