Harvard Medical School Strength and Power Training: A guide for adults of all ages

When you hear the term strength training, perhaps you envision someone with bulging biceps and rippling abdominal muscles. But strength training can benefit people of all ages and athletic abilities whether you are 40 or 85, well toned or unable to rise from a wheelchair without assistance. Studies attest that strength training, as well as aerobic exercise, can help you manage and sometimes prevent conditions as varied as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. It can also protect vitality, make everyday tasks more manageable, and help you maintain a healthy weight. So how can you get started on strength training? This report answers your strength training questions and helps you develop a program that's right for you. It includes more than 25 illustrated strength training exercises with step-by-step instructions, as well as information on choosing weights and strength training equipment, avoiding injury, and stretching. You'll also find information on power training, a new approach that can help you ward off frailty in your later years.