Strength Training for Beginners: Where to Start

TL;DR: Aim for strength work on at least 2 days a week, covering your legs, hips, back, tummy, chest, shoulders and arms. A sturdy chair, a wall and two filled water bottles are enough to start. Strength work supports your bones and is linked with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. You can keep going through periods, adapt it in pregnancy and after birth, and it matters even more around menopause.

Maybe you have looked at the weights section of a gym and walked straight back to the treadmill. Maybe the idea of "lifting" feels like something for people with matching outfits and protein shakes. But if you have carried a toddler on your back, hauled shopping up three flights in Yaba, or lifted a full bucket of water, you have already done strength work. This post is about doing a little more of it on purpose, at home, with things you already own.

Why should women bother with strength training?

Because muscle and bone both respond to being used, and many of us do not use them enough. The WHO says women are less active than men by about five percentage points, a gap that has not moved since 2000. Its guidelines recommend regular muscle-strengthening activity for all age groups, and that includes women who are pregnant or have recently given birth.

What it does for your bones

Strength exercise means moving your muscles against resistance, whether that is your body weight, a band or a dumbbell. The Royal Osteoporosis Society explains that the pull of your muscles on your bones helps keep them strong, and that the best approach combines strength work with impact exercise such as brisk walking, stairs or dancing.

The evidence is strongest after menopause. A review of controlled trials in postmenopausal women found that resistance exercise, weight-bearing exercise and a mix of the two all improved bone density at the spine and hip. If you want the bigger picture on calcium, vitamin D and risk, read our guide to bone health and osteoporosis.

What it does for your metabolism

A review of 16 long-term studies found that muscle-strengthening activity was linked with a 10 to 17 percent lower risk of early death, heart disease, cancer overall and diabetes. These studies show a link and cannot prove cause, but the amounts are encouraging. Most of the benefit appeared at around 30 to 60 minutes a week, and for diabetes the risk fell sharply up to 60 minutes a week. That is two short sessions, which is a very manageable place to begin.

How often should a beginner do strength training?

Two days a week is the target. The NHS advises strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week that work all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. Work until you need a short rest before you could repeat the movement. This sits on top of your 150 minutes of moderate activity, so a walk does not replace it.

It also helps to know what already counts. The same NHS page lists carrying heavy shopping, yoga, pilates, resistance bands, push-ups, heavy gardening and lifting and carrying children.

A starting plan with little or no equipment

The NHS has a simple set of home strength exercises that suits complete beginners. You need a solid chair that will not slip, ideally without wheels or arms, and a clear bit of wall.

• Sit to stand: 5 slow repetitions. Use your legs, not your arms, and look forward.
• Mini squats: 5 repetitions, holding the back of the chair, keeping your back straight.
• Calf raises: 5 repetitions, holding the chair. Let go when that feels easy.
• Wall press-ups: 3 sets of 5 to 10, with your back straight.
• Biceps curls: 3 sets of 5 on each arm, using filled water bottles as weights.

Do the routine twice a week and build up the repetitions gradually. Once it stops feeling like work, add a repetition or two, slow the movements down, or use heavier bottles or a backpack with books inside. The aim is for the last few repetitions to feel like effort while your form stays steady. Sharp pain or dizziness is your signal to stop.

Here is what your first week can look like.

If you are wondering how to fit in the walking side, we looked at how many steps you need. And if you would like company, our free monthly movement challenges are a relaxed way to move with other women.

Can I do strength training on my period?

Yes, if you feel up to it. The NHS suggests gentle exercise such as yoga, swimming, walking or cycling can ease period pain, so a lighter session may help on a crampy day. With only two sessions a week to place, you have plenty of room to move one if you need to.

If your periods are heavy and you feel worn out or breathless when you exercise, look at what might be behind it. Tiredness, shortness of breath and noticeable heartbeats can be signs of iron deficiency anaemia, and it deserves a blood test. Our posts on iron deficiency anaemia and heavy periods explain more. The NHS also advises seeing a GP if period pain stops you from doing your usual daily activities.

Is strength training safe in pregnancy?

For most women, yes, with some changes. The NHS says it is usually fine to keep doing activities you already do, to start anything new gently, and to aim for two strength sessions a week. Later in pregnancy, avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes, and skip anything with a risk of falling or a blow to your bump. If you have a health condition, ask your midwife or doctor which activities suit you. The chair routine above has no floor work, which makes it an easy place to start, and your midwife can tell you whether anything needs changing.

After birth, the NHS says you can start gentle exercise such as walking, stretches and pelvic floor exercises when you feel ready after a straightforward delivery. Get advice at your 6-week postnatal check before high-impact exercise, and speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP before anything strenuous after a caesarean or a complicated birth. Your ligaments stay more flexible for a few months, so build up slowly.

Strength training around menopause

This is the stage when strength work earns its keep. The NHS recommends weight-bearing and resistance exercise to help protect your bones through menopause, and muscle aches and joint pains are common symptoms, so start lightly and build up. Our guide to perimenopause symptoms and our menopause guide cover the rest.

If you already have osteoporosis, the Royal Osteoporosis Society says most people can exercise safely. Check with your doctor or physiotherapist first if you have had several broken bones or a spinal fracture, or are recovering from a break. Exercise does not replace osteoporosis medicine.

Keep it small and keep it going

Two short sessions you do beat a perfect plan you abandon by the second week. If you use Asele, logging your symptoms over a few months can show how your energy changes, which makes it easier to plan your strength days.

This post is education, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, joint problems, a recent injury or a complicated pregnancy, talk to a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before you start.

References

1. World Health Organization. Physical activity fact sheet. who.int
2. Bull FC, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. Royal Osteoporosis Society. Exercise for bones. theros.org.uk
4. Kemmler W, et al. Effects of different types of exercise on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Calcified Tissue International, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5. Momma H, et al. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6. NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. nhs.uk
7. NHS. Strength exercises. nhs.uk
8. NHS. Period pain. nhs.uk
9. NHS. Iron deficiency anaemia. nhs.uk
10. NHS. Exercise in pregnancy. nhs.uk
11. NHS. Keeping fit and healthy with a baby. nhs.uk
12. NHS. Menopause: things you can do. nhs.uk
13. NHS. Menopause symptoms. nhs.uk