It's not just getting moving that is important for better health. It's strengthening muscles too.
Yet 58 percent of U.S. adults don't do any muscle-strengthening exercise, research said. Among the activities that qualify are lifting weights and exercising with elastic bands, push-ups, situps, climbing stairs, cycling and hiking up hills.
Still, the researchers — who analyzed data on nearly 400,000 people representing all U.S. states and territories — said only 35 percent of men and 26 percent of women, ages 18 to 80, include moderate or greater intensity muscle-strengthening exercise in two or more workouts a week. That's the minimum recommended.
Muscle-strengthening exercise has been linked to such health benefits as improved cardiovascular health, better blood sugar control, improvements in bone density, better balance and mobility, and improved self-esteem.
