Strength and power training for a fitter, stronger, healthier body

Strength and power training for a fitter, stronger, healthier body

Weak muscles can translate into loss of independence when they make it difficult to do everyday activities such as walking, cleaning, shopping, and dressing. They also make it harder to balance your body properly when moving or standing still, or to catch yourself if you trip. Perhaps it's not so surprising that, by age 65, one in three people has taken a serious fall. The good news is that an exercise and fitness routine that includes strength training can preserve independence and prevent falls.

If you hear the term "strength training" and imagine a bodybuilder with bulging biceps, it's time to readjust that thinking. Strength training is appropriate for every body. It benefits people of all ages and athletic abilities, whether you are 40 or 85, well-toned or unable to get up from a chair without a helping hand. Strength training can help you look leaner and fitter, protect your vitality, and make everyday tasks more manageable. Combined with aerobic exercise, strength training can also help you manage and sometimes prevent a host of health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. And the gains come fast. Just 10 weeks of weight workouts can dramatically improve strength, power, mobility, and agility.