You already know the health and physical reasons to strength train. I’ve told you time and again that you’ll have better posture, balance, stronger muscles, reduced fat mass, stronger bones, and better joints. But have you thought about the positive effects it will have in the rest of your life? Every day you come across things that you need or want to do that require strength, even if you don’t notice them.
I’m talking about being strong to be able to:
- Carry all 8 bags of your groceries from the store to your car in one trip. Yes, your arms might be dented and sore by the time you get there, and you could have used a cart, but you didn’t. I know I can’t be the only one who attempts this regularly!
- Pick up your crying toddler while also holding your baby. I recall holding all 3 of my daughters on those tough days as a Mom.
- Rearrange your bedroom furnishings on your own. My husband travelled a lot for work when our daughters were little, and if I was feeling bored or creative I would fully redecorate rooms while he was away. He would always be a bit surprised and curious as to how I did these things on my own. Moving our bed could take me a long time, but going one centimeter at a time, I could do it.
- Push your overflowing shopping cart through the aisles of Costco. Turning the corners alone can be a big feat, and if anyone steps in front of me, I worry that I might not be able to stop in time. I’d like to report that so far, so good. I haven’t crashed into anything or anyone yet.
- Stay on your feet while volunteering at your child’s grade two ice skating field trip… while four children are clinging on to you for dear life. Even with ice skating experience, this isn’t easy.
I could go on and on with reasons to strength train that will affect your daily life. Even the most mundane tasks, like carrying a full laundry basket up the stairs, require you to be strong. Sitting in a chair feels better when you are stronger. Think about that.
I remember watching people at the grocery store early last year, when the pandemic restrictions only allowed one person per household in the store. Some people who were used to having help had to shop alone, and some were shopping for their own household plus relatives or friends. They were struggling! They had to follow the arrows which made the trip longer, manage heavy carts on their own, and attempt to get things beyond their reach. And I’m not just talking about seniors having troubles. I saw many middle aged people working hard to maneuver a slightly heavier cart than they were used to.
Strength Training Makes Life Better
When you are strong, your quality of life is better. It helps you do the things you need to, and allows you to do the things you want to. Do you want to travel when you retire, and do walking tours in Japan or ride your bike past Spanish wineries? You’re going to need to be strong for that.
I want to be able to keep running, cycling and hiking. I want to travel, work in my garden, and complete household projects. I definitely want to keep teaching. These things are important to me, and being strong allows me to do them. This past Spring, I was painfully reminded about the need to stay strong. I let my strength training slide a bit, and I gained weight and started hurting. By adding back only two strength workouts a week, I’ve got back on track and feel great.
You don’t need to spend two hours a day at the gym, grunting and slamming weights around to get strong. Small changes do make a difference. Try doing two squats and two pushups every time you wash your hands. Switch one of your usual cardio workouts for a strength workout. Wherever you are at, you can take baby steps to get stronger.
Read How to Start Weight Training for beginner’s tips, and start incorporating strength training at home with the Sweat With Melissa app.