Strong muscles are needed for even the most mundane activities, such as getting up from a chair or lifting groceries and children. Strength training can make a big difference in pain control with conditions such as low-back pain and arthritis, and with maintaining and increasing bone density, a big factor in dealing with osteoporosis. The flexibility and strength of your muscles are crucial to remaining independent as you age. Research suggests that the muscle loss occurring in many older people is not from aging itself, but rather from lack of activity. Even a young person who does not get regular exercise loses muscle mass and strength.

In recent years, strength or weight training, also known as strength-developing exercise, has been more widely recognized as an important third component of a personal fitness program, along with cardiovascular and flexibility exercise. Strength training is done through multiple repetitions of several sets of exercises, often using moderate weights or other means to challenge the muscles by creating additional resistance. Besides using weights, excellent strength training can also be accomplished by rowing, climbing stairs, and doing exercises like push-ups. This type of exercise is designed to strengthen and condition the musculoskeletal system, not primarily to build huge muscles. Such training can result in improved muscle tone and endurance, increased bone mass, increased metabolism, and overall toning of the body.

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