Lately, I find myself speaking with patients and clients more and more about Strength Training and Resistance Training. When people hear these terms, they often picture heavy weights, costly gym memberships, overwhelming timelines and unrealistic goals. But the reality doesn’t need to be daunting. We aren’t just building muscle; we are adding years to your life and quality to those years. It’s about better health, whether managing obesity and diabetes, or from metabolism to menopause, Strength and Resistance Training can change your life… and it’s evidence-based.

(Short on time? Click here for The Bottom Line)

‘Strength training’involves getting stronger through purposeful movement. The Resistance part is key: it describes movement where your muscles work against an external force. And the beauty of that is you don’t need a gym. You can use resistance bands, free weights easily found at home (milk jugs, soup cans, etc), or my personal favourite: your own body weight. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks are excellent examples using gravity as resistance. Low cost, high impact, and done right in your living room.

Why bother? The benefits of strength training are much more than the mirror and what social media will have you believe:

1. Mental Health – strength training is a proven strategy to have a better mood, better sleep, and help you better manage anxiety and depression.

2. Metabolism – the more muscle you have, the more energy your body burns, even while you sleep!

3. Blood Sugar – muscles are like ‘sponges’ for glucose, so you can manage and prevent Type 2 Diabetes more effectively, if you have more muscle.

4. Bones & Joints – strength training brings stability to your joints and can even increase bone density, reducing fall risks as we get older.

While there are so many more benefits, I’d like to share actionable tips so you can make adding this to your health and life a reality, and so you know what to aim for:

  • For adults, at least 2 days per week, engage in muscle strengthening and resistance training activities.
  • For children and teenagers, guidelines recommend at least 3 days per week.

Rest and recovery days are important too. Your muscles require that time and also need to be fed with healthy nutrition to build and grow properly.

If you are currently at zero days a week, don’t feel pressured to suddenly start with a 60-minute weight lifting workout. Progress over perfection. Could you do 10 squats while your morning coffee brews? Some lunges on the spot after you finish brushing your teeth? Five push-ups before your morning shower?

Build the habit. Win the moment. Let the days stack up in your favour, and the results will follow.

The Bottom Line

Strength and resistance training is key for mental wellbeing, boosting metabolism, managing blood sugar, and improving your joints. You don’t need a gym or fancy equipment to get started. Your own body weight is a powerful tool for successful resistance training. The goal is at least 2 days per week, but start with less if it helps you stay on track longer. Chase progress, not perfection.