Why is everyone raving about STRENGTH TRAINING?

This month, our expert Annie Deadman explains why there's more to getting strong than just toning up

-  Annie Deadman

Strength training isn't some new craze. Think back to 'Legs, Bums and Tums' in the '80s and '90s - that was strength training in neon leg warmers! And strength training isn't just about having underarms that don't dangle or thighs that don't wobble. Absolutely not. (My voice just rose in volume about 10 decibels, hope you got that.) So, why is it essential?

Here come three uncomfortable words: involuntary muscle loss. The posh word is sarcopenia. It starts roughly around the age of 30 and it can mean a 1-5% loss of muscle per year. This loss speeds up in the late 50s.

You may think, so what? Who cares? The definition of sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and function. And the resulting symptoms are, as you might expect, loss of strength, a slower walking speed, muscle slackness and a tendency to fall. So yes, we do need to care.

Strength training (which is also called resistance training) means placing a demand on the muscles to work against a resisting force (body weight, bands, dumb-bells, barbells). They will adapt, and become stronger, firmer and more toned. And they will revert from flabby to firm and-more importantly from useless to vital.

Strong muscles support the joints and bones much better. If your muscles are strong, then so are the tendons and ligaments, all of which may become weaker from the inevitable drop in oestrogen that occurs during the menopause years.