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Benefits of Strength Training, Why Strength Matters and Why the Australian Government Says You Should Lift Weights
The Australian Government does not usually tell people to pick up dumbbells. So when the national physical activity guidelines include muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week, it's worth paying attention.
That advice is not aimed only at athletes, gym regulars, or people chasing a certain body shape. It is public health advice. In plain English, the government is saying that adults should train their muscles because strength is part of staying well and active.
For years I sat at a desk. I travelled for work, slept badly and told myself the walk from the car park counted as exercise. So when I say most people over 30 aren't doing enough strength work, I'm not judging. I had similar habits.
Here is what the national guidelines actually say. Australia's 24-hour movement guidelines for adults recommend muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.
Not two hours a day. Two days a week. That sits alongside 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days.
"Most people know about the walking. Hardly anyone knows about the STRENGTH part".
Cardio still matters. Walking, cycling, swimming, sport, and active transport all support heart health and general fitness. But strength training fills a gap that cardio does not fully cover. It helps preserve muscle, support joints, maintain independence, protect bones, and make daily life easier.
What the Australian guidelines actually say
Australia’s physical activity guidelines encourage adults to build movement into the week through both aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activity.
For adults aged 18 to 64, the guidance includes:
Type of activity | General Australian guidance |
Moderate aerobic activity | 2.5 to 5 hours per week |
Vigorous aerobic activity | 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week |
Muscle-strengthening activity | At least 2 days per week |
Sitting time | Break it up where possible |
For adults aged 65 and over, the advice places more emphasis on being active on most days and including activities that support strength, balance, and flexibility.
The muscle-strengthening part is easy to miss because many people think exercise means “getting their steps in”. Steps are great, but they are only one part of the picture.
Muscle-strengthening activity can include:
Lifting weights
Using resistance machines
Doing bodyweight exercises such as squats, push-ups, step-ups, and lunges
Training with resistance bands
Carrying heavy loads in a controlled way
Pilates or similar exercise that challenges muscles
Climbing stairs or hills with enough effort to fatigue the legs
The key is that the muscles have to work against resistance. A relaxed stroll is valuable movement, but it usually will not challenge the muscles enough to count as strength training.
Strength is not just about looking muscular
Many people still picture strength training as bodybuilding. That image has done the average person no favours. It can make the weight room feel like someone else’s territory.
Strength training is much broader than that.
It is the ability to push, pull, lift, carry, stand, balance, and control your body. It shows up when carrying groceries from the car, lifting a child, getting off the floor, moving furniture, climbing stairs, or keeping steady on uneven ground.
A stronger body usually feels more capable. Tasks take less effort. Joints often feel better supported. Posture can improve because the muscles around the trunk, hips, and shoulders are doing more of their share.
There is also a quiet confidence that comes from knowing the body can handle more. That confidence is not vanity. It changes how people move through the world.
Muscle is a health asset
Muscle is active tissue. It helps us move, but it also plays a role in metabolism, balance, blood sugar control, and healthy ageing.
As adults age, muscle mass and strength tend to decline unless they are trained. This is one reason strength work becomes more important, not less important, later in life. Less muscle can make it harder to recover from illness, maintain independence, or keep up with everyday tasks.
Strength training sends the body a useful message: keep this tissue, build capacity, stay ready.
That does not mean people need extreme programs. The government advice is modest for a reason. Two sessions a week can be enough to create a meaningful habit and slow the decline that comes from doing nothing.
Some of the strongest reasons to train are practical:
Better ability to lift and carry
Better support for knees, hips, back, and shoulders
Better balance and control
Better protection against bone loss when combined with suitable loading
Better ability to stay active in other ways
Better resilience during ageing
Strength is not separate from health. It is one of the things health is built on.
Why it matters once you're past 30
From your thirties onwards you gradually lose muscle unless you give your body a reason to keep it. You don't notice at first. Then one day the shopping feels heavier, the stairs feel steeper and getting up off the floor is a struggle.
Strength training is that reason, done regularly, it:
Keeps muscle and bone strong, which matters more with every decade
Supports your joints, so knees, hips and backs cope better with daily life
Improves balance, which makes falls less likely later on
Helps your body manage blood sugar
Makes ordinary things easier: lifting the kids, carrying the bags, a day in the garden
Cardio and strength work better together
A common mistake is treating cardio and strength as rivals. They do different jobs.
Cardio trains the heart, lungs, and endurance systems. Strength training trains the muscles, bones, tendons, and movement control. A balanced routine uses both.
A person who walks daily is doing something excellent for health. But if they never challenge their legs, hips, back, chest, or arms with resistance, they may still lose strength over time.
A person who only lifts weights but avoids aerobic exercise may be strong, but might miss out on the fitness benefits that come from sustained movement.
The sweet spot is not complicated. A week might include walking most days and two short strength sessions. That is enough to match the spirit of the national guidelines and it fits into real life.
For example:
Day | Simple activity idea |
Monday | 30-minute brisk walk |
Tuesday | 25-minute strength session |
Wednesday | Easy walk or bike ride |
Thursday | Rest or gentle mobility |
Friday | 25-minute strength session |
Saturday | Longer walk, swim, sport, or hike |
Sunday | Light activity and stretching |
This is not a perfect plan. It is just a realistic one. The best routine is the one that can be repeated.
What counts as a good strength session
A useful strength session does not need to be long. It does need to challenge the main movement patterns of the body.
A simple full-body session might include:
A squat pattern Sit-to-stand, goblet squat, leg press, or bodyweight squat
A hinge pattern Hip bridge, deadlift variation, or kettlebell deadlift
A push pattern Wall push-up, bench push-up, floor push-up, or dumbbell press
A pull pattern Resistance band row, cable row, or dumbbell row
A carry or core exercise Farmer’s carry, side plank, dead bug, or suitcase carry
That may sound like gym language, but the movements are normal human actions. Sitting and standing. Picking things up. Pushing away. Pulling towards. Bracing the trunk. Carrying weight.
For beginners, the most important rule is to start lighter than expected. Build quality first. Good training should feel controlled, not chaotic.
A useful effort level is one where the final few repetitions feel challenging, but form stays tidy. If every repetition feels easy, the body has little reason to adapt. If every repetition feels like a desperate struggle, the risk of poor technique rises.
Progress can be simple:
Add one or two repetitions
Add a small amount of weight
Use a slightly harder exercise version
Slow the movement down
Add another set
Improve control and range of motion
The body responds well to gradual, repeated effort. It does not need punishment.
What it looks like in real life
Not a 20-year-old throwing barbells about. One of my clients is 60 and does chin-ups. Neither started out strong. They started by turning up twice a week and doing slightly more than last time.
Plenty of my clients arrive with sore knees or hips. We often start at the feet, because strong feet change how everything above them works. Several clients have got rid of knee and hip pain that way.
How to get your two days
Pick two days that already work for you. Consistency beats ambition.
Cover the basics: squat, pick something up off the floor, push, pull, carry.
Start lighter than you think you should. Nobody gets a medal for hurting their back in week one.
Add a little each week. That is the whole secret.
The best strength training is boring in the right way
Good strength training is often less dramatic than people expect. It is repeated practice. It is learning to move well, adding a little load, then doing it again next week.
There is a reason basic exercises never disappear. Squats, rows, presses, hinges, carries, and core work keep showing up because they work.
The trap is chasing variety before building consistency. Novelty can be fun, but progress needs some repetition. If the exercises change every session, it becomes harder to know whether strength is improving.
A good program has enough variety to stay engaging and enough consistency to measure change.
The signs of progress are not always visual. Progress might mean:
Carrying shopping without needing to swap hands
Getting out of a low chair more easily
Feeling steadier on stairs
Lifting a suitcase without strain
Gardening for longer
Playing with kids without feeling as tired
Returning to sport with better control
These are deeply practical wins. They are also the kind of outcomes public health guidelines care about.
Strength training supports ageing well
Ageing is not only about living longer. It is about keeping the ability to do ordinary things.
Strength helps with that.
Loss of strength can shrink a person’s world. Stairs become a barrier. Getting off the ground becomes stressful. Carrying groceries becomes a two-trip job. Fear of falling can reduce activity, which can then reduce strength further.
Resistance training interrupts that cycle. It gives muscles, bones, tendons, and the nervous system a reason to stay capable.
For older adults, strength training should often sit alongside balance and mobility work. That might include supported single-leg stands, heel raises, step-ups, gentle lunges, or exercises that improve control through the hips and ankles.
The aim is not to train like a 25-year-old athlete. The aim is to keep the body useful.
And for younger adults, the lesson is clear. Building strength earlier gives the body more to draw from later. Muscle is easier to maintain when it has already been built.
Why the government has a point
Public health advice tends to be conservative. It avoids hype. It does not usually chase trends.
That makes the strength training recommendation more powerful, not less. The message is simple: muscle-strengthening activity belongs in a healthy week.
The government is not asking everyone to train like a powerlifter. It is asking people to do enough resistance work to help their bodies stay capable. That is a reasonable standard.
Two days per week is also realistic. It can be done in a Gym, at home, in a class, at a park, or with a qualified trainer. It can take 20 to 45 minutes. It can be adapted for age, ability, injury history, and confidence.
What matters is the habit.
Start with movements that feel safe. Learn good technique. Make the exercises a little harder over time. Keep walking, cycling, swimming, or doing the aerobic activity that already works. Add strength rather than replacing everything else.
A strong body is not just for sport. It is for carrying groceries, standing up, climbing stairs, staying steady, ageing well, and feeling more capable in everyday life.
The Australian Government wants people to lift weights, or at least do some form of resistance training. They have a point. "This article is general information only and is not personal medical advice. Anyone managing an injury, a health condition, pregnancy, or a long break from exercise should check in with a qualified health professional before starting". Where to start
If you live in or around Grange, Adelaide and want help getting your two days done properly, get in touch. We'll have a chat about your goals, fitness experience, injuries and what you want to be able to do. Book an initial Chat below or Call/text Bri - 0410 663873, or email hello@grangept.com.au.
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