Is Strength Training Good for Everyone?

By: Melissa Dahl
Expert Reviewed by Scott Haak, PT, DPT, MTC, CSCS
May 8, 2024

If you’ve never done resistance training, all those free weights, machines, and weight training classes can be a little intimidating, but strength training doesn’t have to be complicated or meant only for advanced athletes. Here’s what to know about who should do strength training, the best age to start, and more.

Strength training is having a moment. Celebrities like Beyoncé, Ashley Graham, and Adele are all over social media extolling the benefits of lifting weights, and some industry estimates expect consumer spending in weight training specifically to grow in the coming years, reaching a forecasted revenue of more than $16 billion by 2032, per Future Market Insights. Weight lifting is popular with Lose It! Members, too — second only to walking as the top-logged exercise.

But if you’ve never visited that side of the gym, it can be a little intimidating. Strange machines that look a little like medieval torture devices. What on earth is a person supposed to do with so many dumbbells? What about the alphabet soup of classes? Do body-weight exercises count?

It’s fair enough to wonder if you even belong there in the first place. The answer: Yes, you do. And here’s why.

Read Full Article on Loseit.com

Desi Contributed to this article:

Who Should Do Strength Training?

The short answer: almost everyone. (Yes, really!) From professional athletes to busy office workers, “just about everyone can benefit from some sort of strength training,” says fitness expert and Yoga Alliance–trained instructor Desi Bartlett. “We all need to be able to have the strength to enjoy our daily activities. It might look different for various populations, but there is always weight that we are lifting, even if it is the resistance of our own body weight when we stand up from a seated position, or to lift our children.”

Even people with certain health conditions or disabilities may be good candidates for strength training, though experts we consulted suggested speaking with your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen and finding a certified personal trainer who has experience with your specific needs to ensure you’re doing the moves correctly.