First- If you are currently an active walker or runner, way to go! You are motivated and committed to your health and fitness and that is fantastic! But if you are waiting for whatever reason to start strength training, stop waiting. I totally understand that the idea of doing it all at once can be overwhelming, but strength training is not only a huge part of losing weight and feeling healthy—it’s really been the KEY for me. Best of all, it is a lot easier than you might think.Don’t forget I am a long distance runner. I am a huge fan of cardio sessions. I love the way it makes me feel after and I love the satisfaction of knowing how many calories I’ve burned, how many steps I’ve taken, etc. But when it comes to long-term weight loss and feeling strong and lean: Strength Training is the magic key!

Let me break it down simply for you. Strength training builds muscle. Muscle is more metabolically active than body fat, thus muscle burns more calories per day at a resting heart rate than body fat. So the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns daily.

Additionally strength training keeps your joints mobile and promotes your ability to do daily activities without getting hurt. No matter what your age, or your goals, strength training is an important component of your fitness, and it’s never too late to start. And actually the older we get, it is even more important because strength training increases bone density which reduces the risk of fractures.

Convinced but not sure how to start? That’s ok, we all have to start somewhere. If you have never tried strength training before, you could start with these 3 basic strength training exercises that you can do in your living room with absolutely no equipment necessary.

Start with 10 of each and repeat twice for a total of three sets EVERYDAY!

And once you’ve got these exercises down, let me know so I can help you further increase your strength training. On October 1st we’re starting a 21 Day ONLINE FITNESS ACCOUNTABILITY Group.  I’m really excited and I would love to have you join me on this challenge!  Please send me an email if you are interested in more information!Have a great week,

Meryl