Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier

Want to build muscle, reduce body fat and burn calories? Strength training can help! Strength training is a key part of overall health and fitness for everyone.

Lean muscle mass and strength tend to decline with age. Strength training can help you keep and increase muscle mass and strength as you get older. It also may help protect against age-related loss of bone strength. If you don't replace the lean muscle tissue you lose over time, your body fat percentage will likely go up.

Strength training also may help you:

• Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training protects bone health and may lower the risk of osteoporosis.
• Manage your weight. Strength training can help you manage weight and improve body composition. It also can help you burn more calories.
• Enhance your quality of life. Strength training can improve physical function, support balance and lower the risk of falls. It may improve your ability to do everyday activities and help protect your joints from injury. This can help you stay independent as you age.
• Manage some chronic conditions. Strength training may help reduce joint pain and improve symptoms, function or overall health in some chronic conditions. Examples include arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety.
• Sharpen your thinking skills. Some research suggests that regular strength training and physical activity may help support brain health and some thinking skills in older adults.

If you have a chronic condition or safety concerns, talk with your healthcare professional before beginning a strength training or aerobic fitness program.

Before beginning strength training, consider warming up with a few minutes of brisk walking or another aerobic activity. This can help get your body ready for exercise and may lower the risk of injury.

Choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions. When you can easily do more repetitions of a certain exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance.

A single set of 12 to 15 repetitions with the proper weight can build muscle efficiently in most people. If you are working the muscle until you can't lift another repetition or the repetition is very hard, that is usually enough work for the muscle to make it stronger. Being able to do a higher number of repetitions likely means you are using a lighter weight, which can make it easier to control the weight and keep proper form.

To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group.

Also, listen to your body. If a strength training exercise causes pain, stop the exercise. Consider using a lower weight or trying the exercise again in a few days.

It's important to use proper form and technique in strength training with muscles you're working. This can help avoid injuries. If you're new to strength training, work with a trainer or other fitness specialist to learn correct form and technique. Remember to breathe during strength training.

You can do strength training at home or in the gym. Common exercise choices may include:

• Body weight. You can do many exercises with little or no equipment. Try pushups, pullups, planks, lunges and squats.
• Resistance tubing. Resistance tubing is inexpensive, lightweight tubing that gives resistance when stretched. You can choose from many types of resistance tubing in nearly any sporting goods store or online.
• Free weights. Barbells and dumbbells are classic strength training tools. If you don't have weights at home, you can use water bottles or other light household items. Other options can include using medicine balls or kettlebells.
• Weight machines. Most fitness centers offer many resistance machines. You can invest in weight machines for use at home, too.
• Cable suspension training. Cable suspension training is another option. You suspend part of your body — such as your legs — while doing body weight training such as pushups or planks.

You don't need to spend hours a day lifting weights to benefit from strength training. You may notice stronger muscles if you do strength training at least two times a week for only about 20 to 30 minutes each time.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

• Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. Or get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Aim to exercise most days of the week.

  For even more health benefits, the guidelines suggest getting 300 minutes or more a week of moderate aerobic activity. Exercising this much may help with weight loss or keeping off lost weight. But even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up and have health benefits.

• Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

As you continue strength training, you may notice improvement in your strength and physical function over time. As your muscle mass increases, you'll likely be able to lift weight more easily and for longer periods of time. If you stick with it, you can continue to increase your strength, no matter where you started.