Health & Wellbeing News

How to make strength training work for you

Eight easy activities you can do at home

 Regular strength training has many health benefits and can be done almost anywhere.

While strength training can happen in a typical gym setting or as part of a home workout, it can also include basic household tasks that involve lifting, carrying or digging.

What is strength training, and why do it?

• Strength training – also known as resistance training – describes a type of exercise where a weight or force is used to build muscle.
• Adults aged 18-64 should do some form of muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.
• It’s an effective way to create and maintain strong bones, and as we age, it can help reduce muscle loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Strength training can also:

• strengthen muscles around the joints and reduce the risk of injury
• assist with balance to help avoid falls
• help us get up off the ground if we do have a fall
• make it easier to manage weight, as more muscle means your body uses more energy.

How to add strength training at home

It’s much easier than you think to make strength (or resistance) training a regular part of your activity, and it’s certainly not just for gym junkies. In fact, you can use items around the house, such as a bag of rice or a can of tomatoes, to add extra load and create resistance. Using anything greater than your body weight is a form of resistance training.

Our simple home activity plan is an excellent guide to get you started.

Eight strength activities to do at home

Try this household strength training circuit—do as many reps as possible in one minute for each exercise. You only need eight minutes a day!