Strength-train twice a week
Work all your major muscle groups on at least two days a week.
- How often
- Weekly
- Time
- 20–30 min
- Recommended for
- 31 factors
How to do it
- Plan at least two sessions a week that work your legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.
- Use body weight, resistance bands, free weights, machines, or heavy gardening and carrying.
- Pick a load you can lift with good form for about 8 to 12 repetitions, where the last few feel hard.
- Do 1 to 3 sets per exercise, and rest a day between sessions for the same muscles.
- Increase the load or reps gradually as the exercises get easier.
Why it helps
Muscle and bone respond to being loaded. Adult activity guidelines recommend strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week, in addition to aerobic activity. Strength helps with lifting, carrying, balance and keeping your joints supported as you age.
Be careful
Learn the form before adding weight. Stop if you feel sharp pain. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, a joint problem or are new to exercise, check with a doctor first.
Recommended for
Airline pilot
Long seated duty days across time zones and through the night.
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One more episode, slumped into the cushions, snack within reach.
habitCaregiving for an adult
Helping a parent, partner or relative with daily life, often nonstop.
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Hammering, sawing, lifting and kneeling, with sharp tools all day.
occupationConstruction worker
Heavy loads, heights, noise, dust and weather, every day.
occupationContent creator
Streaming, editing and gaming for hours, often late into the night.
occupationFarmer
Dawn-to-dusk physical work outdoors, around machines and animals.
occupationFirefighter
Extreme heat, heavy gear, smoke, sleepless shifts and traumatic calls.
occupationFlight attendant
On your feet in a moving cabin, across time zones, lifting bags overhead.
hobbyHunting
Gunfire, tree stands, cold dawns and heavy hauls out of the woods.
occupationJanitor
Mopping, lifting and scrubbing, often on night shifts, with strong chemicals.
occupationLandscaper
Mowing, digging and lifting outdoors in every kind of weather.
habitLiving alone
Your own space and schedule, and nobody else around by default.
habitLong commute by car
An hour or more a day seated, braced and on alert behind the wheel.
hobbyMartial arts
Strikes, throws, grappling and joint locks against a resisting partner.
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Your hands are the tool, and your body is the lever behind them.
hobbyMountain biking
Rough trails, steep drops and a lot of jolting through your arms.
occupationNurse
Twelve-hour shifts on your feet, lifting, turning and rarely sitting down.
occupationOffice worker
Desk, chair, screen, meetings, repeat.
habitParenting young children
Lifting, carrying, bending and rocking all day, on broken sleep.
occupationPhysician
Long, high-stakes days with little time to eat, move or sleep.
hobbyPickleball
Quick lateral steps, sudden lunges and plenty of falls on hard courts.
occupationPlumber
Under sinks, in trenches, on your knees, twisting into tight spaces.
occupationPolice officer
Long shifts in a patrol car, heavy gear and moments of high stress.
occupationRemote worker
Laptop on the kitchen table, no commute, no reason to leave the house.
occupationRetail worker
On your feet all shift, stocking shelves and helping customers.
occupationSoftware engineer
Long hours seated, eyes on screens, hands on keys.
occupationStay-at-home parent
Lifting, carrying and caring around the clock, with little time for yourself.
hobbySwimming
Thousands of overhead strokes, chlorinated water and wet ears.
occupationWarehouse worker
Picking, packing and lifting at speed, miles of walking a shift.
habitWorking from the couch or bed
Laptop on your lap, pillows behind your back, no commute and no desk.