Strength Training

Strength is important for movement, balance and maintaining posture.  Strength training can involve exercises where you lift weights, use your body weight to work against, or pull against resistance band. Strength can also be developed by day-to-day activities like reaching, standing, doing housework or gardening.

Listen to Professor Helen Dawes explain strength training, what it means and how you can go about it

To do some of the activities in this section you will need handheld weights or resistance band.  Handheld weights of varying weight and resistance band of different tensions can be purchased often relatively cheaply from supermarkets, sport shops or from many online retailers. 

However, you can make weights from things you have at home.  Empty drinking water bottles filled with water, rice, or gravel can make good handheld weights and will give you a variety of weights to use as you get stronger.  Empty 2 or 4 litre milk bottles filled with water or rice will also work well to make heavier weights if you need them.

Finding homemade resistance band alternatives is more difficult.  Old pairs of tights can be a starting place but it is likely that this won’t provide you with enough resistance for long.  The key to purchasing resistance bands is making sure that the bands are a) long enough for you to use for multiple exercises and b) that you buy bands of different tensions to use for different muscle groups and to use as you get stronger.