Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: You don’t need a gym, fancy equipment or long hours to stay fit. Just two sessions of basic strength exercises every week can make a real difference to your health, a large global review of studies has found.The research, published in the the journal of the American College of Sports medicine, looked at data from over 30,000 adults and showed that simple resistance exercises – such as squats, push-ups, lifting household weights or using resistance bands – can improve muscle strength, balance, walking speed and overall fitness.These are not just fitness gains – they directly affect how easily one can climb stairs, carry groceries, or avoid falls as one ages.The biggest takeaway is how little effort is needed to start seeing results. Two short sessions a week, working the major muscle groups with moderate effort, are enough – there is no need to push your body to exhaustion or follow complicated routines. What matters more is consistency and gradually increasing the difficulty over time.“Two days a week is a start, but for real gains in strength and overall health, I advise patients to aim for at least four days. Even simple, no-equipment routines or yoga can be effective – just 20-25 minutes covering major muscle groups like the back, knees and hips is enough to make a difference,” said Dr Deepak Joshi, director, Sports Injury Centre, Safdarjung Hospital.The findings are especially important at a time when many people spend long hours sitting and physical activity is declining.Weak muscles and poor balance increase the risk of falls, joint problems and loss of independence later in life. In routine practice, many patients who walk regularly still show poor muscle strength, reduced balance and early joint overload, said Dr Naman Wahal, senior consultant orthopaedics, Fortis Escorts, Delhi, noting that walking alone does not address age-related muscle loss and that reduced strength contributes to instability, falls and delayed recovery even among people in their 40s and 50s.Experts said almost any form of resistance exercise works, but how it is done matters.Low-grade weight training helps maintain muscle tone and improve bone mass, especially with age, said Prof Mandeep Dhillon, director orthopaedic and sports medicine, Fortis Chandigarh. He cautioned that beginners, particularly older adults, should avoid suddenly attempting exercises like push-ups or squats without prior conditioning and should ideally start under supervision, in structured or group settings, while combining strength work with walking as an aerobic activity.Despite clear benefits, very few people still include strength training in their routine. The study highlights this gap as a missed public health opportunity, with evidence showing that even 30-60 minutes of muscle-strengthening activity a week can significantly reduce overall mortality risk, with greater gains when combined with aerobic exercise.
