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Have you ever noticed yourself squeezing the handles of an exercise machine, tightening your jaw, or lifting your shoulders when a workout gets challenging? You might not even realize you’re doing it! When muscles begin to fatigue, it’s natural for your body to respond with increased effort. But sometimes, that effort creates tension in places…

You’re halfway through a strength-training exercise. Your muscles are working. The resistance feels increasingly challenging. You’re concentrating on keeping the movement slow and controlled. Then your instructor says: “Keep breathing.” And you realize—you weren’t. Holding your breath when something becomes difficult is surprisingly natural. But during strength training, breathing is more than background activity. It’s…

Maybe you took a vacation. Maybe your schedule became unusually busy. Or perhaps illness or another unexpected event kept you away from strength training longer than planned. Whatever the reason, you’re ready to return. That’s the important part. After time away, it’s natural to want to jump right back in and prove that you haven’t…

You go on vacation. You catch a cold. Your schedule gets turned upside down. Before you know it, a week has passed without a strength-training session. So, what happened to all that strength you worked so hard to build? Fortunately, your muscles don’t disappear because you missed a week. A short break and a long…

If you walk every morning, ride your bike, swim, stretch, take fitness classes or play a favorite sport, you’re doing something valuable for your health. But there’s an important distinction: being active and specifically training your muscles for strength aren’t always the same thing. Different types of exercise create different adaptations in the body. That’s…

Now what? After a challenging strength training session, your body begins the important work of recovery and adaptation. Meanwhile, the choices you make throughout the rest of your week can help support your muscles and overall health. That doesn’t mean adding more strenuous workouts to your schedule. In fact, some of the best things you…

For men, the meaning of strength can change with age. At 25, getting stronger might have been about lifting heavier weights, improving athletic performance, or looking more muscular. After 50, there can be a much more practical reason to stay strong: You want your body to keep up with your life. You want to travel,…

After menopause, staying strong can take on a whole new meaning. It isn’t simply about maintaining muscle tone or being able to lift more weight. Strength can influence how comfortably you move, how easily you handle everyday activities, and how much physical capacity you carry with you into the years ahead. Research is also helping…

Walking is something most of us do without giving it much thought. We walk to the mailbox, through the grocery store, across a parking lot, around the house, or while traveling. But the ability to walk comfortably and confidently depends on much more than simply putting one foot in front of the other. Researchers have…

We tend to give our muscles all the credit for strength. They lift the resistance, help us climb the stairs, carry the bags, and get us up from the couch. But muscles can’t decide to do any of those things on their own. Every movement begins with communication. Your brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles…