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Strength: why muscle matters at every stage

By Kerri Hopkins · 5 min read · 20 October 2026

Not just for the gym

When most of us hear "strength training", we picture a barbell and a lot of grunting. In fact, strength is carrying the shopping in one trip, lifting a toddler out of the car seat, getting up off the floor without a groan, and keeping your bones sturdy for the long run. It is for everyone, not only people who lift.

What the guidelines say

UK guidelines for adults say to do activities that strengthen your muscles on at least 2 days a week, working all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. All of these count:

• lifting weights or using resistance bands
• bodyweight exercises such as push-ups
• yoga, pilates and tai chi
• carrying heavy shopping bags
• heavy gardening
• lifting and carrying children

You do not need a gym, and you do not need to have done much before. Gentle moves such as sit-to-stands, mini-squats, calf raises and wall press-ups can be done at home, and you can build up slowly.

During pregnancy

Staying active in pregnancy may help with fitness, preparing for birth and recovery, and improving sleep, mood and mental health. The advice includes:

• aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, where you can talk but not sing
• try to include two muscle-strengthening sessions a week. Yoga, carrying shopping or children, and gym strength training if you already do it, all count.
• base your choices on what you did before pregnancy, and include strength training
• avoid sports where you might fall or be bumped, avoid exercising on an empty stomach, and do not start a new vigorous activity such as running
• in later pregnancy, avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes, as it can make you dizzy
• stop if you feel uncomfortable, too hot or unwell

Talk to your midwife about what is right for you.

After the baby

• pelvic floor exercises are advised from soon after birth, and daily. If you are unsure how to do them, or had stitches or a difficult birth, ask your midwife or physiotherapist.
• Wait until you have been checked over by your GP and a physiotherapist before you start exercising again, ideally a women's health physiotherapist. This is to make sure it is safe, and that there is no separation of the stomach muscles (diastasis recti), hernia or misalignment that exercise could make worse.
• once you have been cleared, listen to your body and start gently. If you were not active before, begin slowly.
• work up to two muscle-strengthening sessions a week
• you can be active while breastfeeding, once you have been cleared

Pelvic floor exercises can help with the leaks that are common after birth. If they do not, mention it at your postnatal check, and your GP may refer you to a physiotherapist. Your tummy muscles stretch in pregnancy, and there are specific exercises for separated stomach muscles. After a caesarean or any other surgery, follow your surgeon's, midwife's, GP's or physiotherapist's advice about when to start.

Be kind to yourself. You are carrying a baby and a car seat, and that is strength training too.

As we approach midlife

Women lose bone rapidly in the first few years after the menopause, and regular exercise helps keep bones as strong as possible. UK guidelines say weight-bearing activity, which sends an impact through the body, helps maintain bone health, and that strength training in middle age benefits balance. Muscle and bone strength tend to decline as we get older, so building them up before and through perimenopause matters.

Getting enough calcium and vitamin D helps too, and so does stopping smoking and cutting down on alcohol. The recommendation is a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D.

If it feels harder than it should

If you find exercise much harder than you would expect, with tiredness and breathlessness, it is worth asking your GP about iron. Low iron can cause both.

Getting started

Pick two days a week. Start with the gentle moves above, go slowly, and build up the repetitions over time. If you have recently had a baby, an injury or surgery, wait until your GP and a physiotherapist have checked you over before you start. This is to make sure it is safe, and that nothing such as a separation of the stomach muscles, a hernia or a misalignment could be made worse. If you are pregnant or have a health condition, check with your midwife, GP or physiotherapist first.

Sources

NHS: Physical activity guidelines for adults · NHS: Exercise in pregnancy · NHS: Strength exercises · NHS: Osteoporosis · NHS: Your body after the birth · UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines · UK CMO: Physical activity for women after childbirth

BioHer provides educational information only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it does not replace your GP or other healthcare professional. If symptoms feel urgent or severe, call 111 for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency.