The most unfortunate part of age-associated weight gain is that as the scale creeps up, the amount of body fat increases, while the amount of muscle decreases. This makes weight loss even more challenging, because the less muscle strength we have, the fewer calories we can burn.

Aerobic exercise does not seem to influence muscle mass or strength. Strength training, on the other hand, increases both muscle mass and muscle strength. Strength training also has been shown to increase bone mass, which is important for women because of the age-related increase in the risk of osteoporosis.

As people age, they lose one to two percent of muscle strength each year. With this loss of muscle strength, we tend to become less active because daily activities become more difficult to perform. Strength training has the power to maintain muscle mass and strength, and to keep daily activities doable and fun.

- Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.