I’ve been active my entire life, from playing on countless sports teams to being a competitive runner. But after years of just running for exercise, I wanted to try something new. This led me to trying a group fitness class that incorporated weights. To my surprise, lifting regularly didn’t just help me get toned, but I also noticed my strength and posture improve, and I was getting sick less often. “Lifting weights isn’t just about building muscle—it’s a cornerstone of overall health”, says sports dietitian Amy Goodson, M.S., RD, CSSD, LD. “Regular strength training can help promote healthy metabolism, support bone density and help improve functional movement, making daily activities easier and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.”

Clearly, lifting does far more than help you gain muscle. In this piece, we’ll dive into more reasons to love strength training, how much you should do each week and tips to get started.  

Why We Love Lifting Weights

Improved Strength 

It might sound obvious, but lifting weights regularly really does build strength and that matters more than you might think. If you’re not regularly challenging your muscles, you can gradually lose strength over time. And maintaining strength is essential for driving everyday tasks from carrying groceries and lifting a suitcase into overhead bins to picking up a child.  

Better Metabolic Health 

If recent lab work came back a little off, you might want to try picking up weights to help tackle some of your metabolic issues. Lifting weights helps you build muscle, and muscle is metabolically active that supports a wide range of health benefits. 

Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, sports dietitian, explains, “Having more muscle mass leads to better metabolic health including improved blood sugar control, lipids levels (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides), blood pressure and waist circumference.”

Improve Body Composition 

Lifting weights doesn’t just build muscle, it can help shift your body composition by increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat. More muscles also means a higher resting metabolic rate, so you burn more calories even when you’re not working out. Plus, you get the added bonus of the “afterburn effect” where your body continues burning calories even after your workout ends. Research shows that resistance training significantly reduces body fat percentage, body fat mass and visceral fat in healthy adults.

Improved Bone Health 

As you lift weights, you see your muscles contract and lengthen, especially if you’re watching yourself in the mirror, but what you don’t see is that your bones are getting stronger too. Bones aren’t just a rigid structure, they are living tissue and respond to physical stress from exercise. As Blatner points out, strength training puts “good stress on bones”.

“Weight-bearing exercises stimulate bone formation and help maintain or improve bone mineral density, lowering the risk of osteoporosis and fractures with age,” explains Goodson.

Just like our muscles, we naturally start to lose bone mass as we age. Without regular resistance training, this can lead to weaker, more brittle bones. But lifting weights helps preserve and even build bone density, reducing your risk of injury or health condition down the road.

May Boost Brain Function 

Feeling foggy or noticing a dip in mood? Lifting weights might help give your brain a boost.  “Weight training is not just for the physical body”, explains Blatner, “it may also decrease anxiety, boost mood and improve cognitive function (like memory, attention and processing speed).” Like other forms of exercise, strength training triggers the release of feel-good hormones (aka endorphins) which lifts our mood, and also increases blood flow to the entire body, including the brain, which supports cognitive functioning. 

One study found that older adults who participated in 12 weeks of resistance training not only improved their muscle strength but also experienced changes in their brain chemistry. These changes helped preserve brain health, suggesting lifting weights may protect against age-related cognitive decline.

Improved Core Strength

Wanna know the real secret to a stronger core? It’s not doing 100 sit-ups a day, it’s lifting weights regularly. Your core is literally the core of your entire body, including not only your abs, but also your back, pelvic floor, diaphragm, hips and glutes.  “Weight training strengthens core muscles, which supports posture, balance and coordination—vital for preventing falls and maintaining independence in later years,” says Goodson. 

And as Blatner emphasizes, “Muscle is our longevity organ. The more muscle you have the longer and healthier you live!”

How Much Weight Lifting You Should Do

How often should you actually be lifting weights to reap the benefits? According to major health organizations including theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Sports Medicine, the recommendation across the board is to engage in at least 2 strength sessions per week that target all major muscle groups, says Blatner. 

That could mean doing full-body workouts twice a week, or splitting it up, focusing on upper body one day and lower body another and then repeating it once more throughout the week. The key is to make sure you are doing it consistently each week. 

Is Weight Lifting Safe for Everyone?

While weight lifting can offer health benefits for most people, certain groups should get approval from their health care provider before starting. This includes individuals with heart conditions, joint issues or those who are pregnant, says Blatner.  

Older adults may need to modify exercises to accommodate any joint issues or balance concerns. To reduce the risk of injury, Goodson recommends that older adults and pregnant women use weight machines instead of free weights. And don’t forget to enlist a personal trainer to ensure you are performing exercises in proper form. 

Tips for Starting to Lift Weights

Explore options that best fit your schedule, budget and what you enjoy doing. Whether that’s joining a group strength class at the gym, splitting a personal training session with friends, or following free workouts online, there’s plenty of ways you can lift weights, advises Blatner. 

• Focus on Form: If you are new to lifting weights, focus first on nailing down proper form. You don’t need to use weights right away, it’s best to first practice doing basic exercises using just your body weight—like squats, lunges and push-ups. Learn how to do them correctly, before adding any weight. 
• Start Light: Once you’ve mastered the correct form, slowly begin to add weight. Start with just a few pound dumbbells and gradually increase as you feel more comfortable.
• Progress Gradually: “Progress comes from showing up, not maxing out,” says Blatner. Rather than pounding super heavy weights one day and then feeling too sore to move the next day, it’s better to build up steadily. Increase weight slowly over time to allow your body to adapt and prevent injury.

Our Expert Take

Weight lifting isn’t just about growing your biceps, it’s one of the most beneficial exercises you can do to support overall health.  Lifting weights helps build and improve strength, supports better metabolic health, improves body composition, strengthens bones, boosts brain function and enhances core strength. 

Experts recommend engaging in weight lifting at least twice a week and there are plenty of ways to get started. You can join a fitness class, work with a personal trainer or follow free online workouts. Just remember if you’re just starting out: learn and practice proper form first, start with lighter weights and progress gradually.