Endurance exercises such as fast walking or running can increase your total daily metabolism by burning calories directly, by increasing your resting metabolic rate (RMR), 1,2 and by helping you to feel more energetic so that you will be more inclined to do more spontaneous physical activities. See the BE ACTIVE page for tips on burning calories with endurance exercise.

Strength building exercises can have an even greater influence on RMR by adding muscle mass.3a They can also reduce low back pain, arthritic pain, and depression; help you feel more energetic; and provide other health benefits that make additional exercise easier. Strength building exercises3b can not only replace muscle mass lost due to physical inactivity, but can also help prevent additional muscle from being lost as you are losing weigh by reducing your calorie consumption.4

Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. Therefore, if you are building muscle at the same time you are losing fat, you may become more slender without actually losing any weight. Women need not worry that strength training will have any negative effects on their appearance. Even intensive weight training will not cause a woman's body to look bulky unless she has unusual genetics.5

Proper strength training can support a more pleasing posture and add muscle tone and definition for a more slender and pleasing appearance.

Strengthening exercises can provide you with many benefits at any age, but particularly as you get older.6,7

You don't even need weights or any special equipment to strength train. Pushups, arm and leg lifts, bridges, planks, abdominal curls and other body weight8 exercises will take you a long way. To correct muscle imbalances and avoid developing new ones, choose a combination of exercises that work all of your major muscle groups, including your abs.9

Strength train two or three days a week.10 Leave at least one day between each session for your muscles to recover. Choose a time of day when you are most energetic, so that you can work your muscles harder. To avoid injury, start easy and increase the intensity of your exercise sessions gradually so that your body has a chance to adjust to new exercises. Be sure to warm up before each exercise session, and use proper form, which for most exercises includes keeping your abs tight and back straight, with a slight inward curve in your lower back. Use weights that are light enough that you can perform at least 8-10 repetitions of each exercise in proper form.11 When you can do 12 or more repetitions in proper form, two sessions in a row, you can add about 5 percent more weight for the next session. Each repetition should be performed slowly and smoothly through a full range of motion, taking at least 6 full seconds to complete. One set of each exercise is sufficient as long as you thoroughly fatigue your muscles during the exercise.12 One way to warm up is to do one set (i.e. about 10 reps) of each exercise using 1/2 the weight immediately before doing your normal set.

Immediately after completing each exercise, stretch the target muscles for 20-30 seconds to maintain muscle flexibility and promote muscle development.13 Maintain normal breathing during the stretch. To avoid injury, move slowly and stretch only to the point that you feel a moderate stretching sensation. Stretching should not be painful.

For added enjoyment and encouragement, exercise with your spouse or other friend.

ExRx14 is an excellent internet resource for exercise information. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weight Training,15 Strong Women Stay Slim,16 and Strong Women Stay Young17 are excellent books on the subject.

It is advisable to consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program, and to receive proper training before working with heavy weights or beginning unfamiliar exercises.