Self-care has a look. Bath, candle, face mask, maybe a nap if the house is quiet. All good things.
Here is one that rarely makes the list: picking up something heavy, on purpose, a couple of times a week.
What the numbers say
US federal guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week. In 2020, the CDC's National Health Interview Survey found that only 26.9% of women met that guideline [1].
It drops with age [1]:
- women 18 to 44: 34.1%
- women 45 to 64: 23.8%
- women 65 and older: 17.2%
In other words, the years when strength starts to matter most are the years most of us stop training it.
What it does not show
These are survey answers, so they rely on people remembering and reporting what they did. They tell us how common strength training is, not why women stop. That part of the story belongs to real women, and we would love to hear yours.
Why it matters to you
You do not need a gym membership, a program or a new identity to count. You need to do something that challenges your muscles, twice a week. Groceries, kids and stairs already count for something; this is about doing a little more, on purpose.
If you are reading this tired and thinking "when, exactly?", that is the honest question. We will keep answering it.
Sources
- Heitz E. QuickStats: Percentage of adults aged 18 years and older who met the federal guidelines for muscle-strengthening physical activity, by age group and sex. National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:642. Link
