76% of Australian women aren't doing enough strength training. Here's why it matters

If you walk regularly, keep active and generally consider yourself reasonably fit, you might assume you're doing enough exercise for your health.

But there's one type of exercise Australian women are overwhelmingly missing.

Strength training.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 76% of Australian women aged 18–64 did not do the recommended amount of muscle-strengthening activity in 2022.

That's more than 3 in every 4 women.

And the recommendation isn't to spend hours lifting weights every day.

Australian guidelines recommend adults perform muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days each week.

So why does strength training matter so much, particularly as women get older?

Let's take a look.

76% of Australian women aren't strength training enough

The statistic comes from AIHW analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022 National Health Survey.

The data found that 73% of Australian adults aged 18–64 weren't doing muscle-strengthening exercise on the recommended two days per week.

For women, that increased to 76%, compared with 71% of men.

Even more concerning, among the adults who weren't meeting the recommendation, 91% reported doing no muscle-strengthening activity at all during the previous week.

So we're not simply talking about women missing the target by one workout.

A significant proportion of Australians aren't strength training at all.

And that's important because walking, running and other cardiovascular exercise don't completely replace the role of resistance training.

How much strength training should women do?

Current Australian 24-hour movement guidelines recommend that adults aged 18–64 include:

• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes on most days
• Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week
• Functional activities targeting mobility, balance and coordination on three or more days per week
• Several hours of light physical activity throughout the day
• Less prolonged sedentary time
• 7–9 hours of good-quality sleep

The important message here is that strength training isn't just for athletes or people trying to build big muscles.

It's included in Australia's national recommendations for adult health.

What actually counts as strength training?

Mention strength training and many women immediately picture a bodybuilding gym filled with enormous barbells.

It doesn't have to look anything like that.

Muscle-strengthening or resistance exercise simply means making your muscles work against resistance.

That resistance might come from:

• Your own body weight
• Dumbbells
• Resistance bands
• Kettlebells
• Weight machines
• Barbells
• Certain Pilates-style exercises
• Functional resistance exercises

Squats, lunges, push-ups, rows, presses, deadlift variations and step-ups are all examples of movements that can form part of a resistance-training program.

And you don't necessarily need a gym.

A simple strength workout can be done at home.

Why is strength training so important for women?

For years, women's fitness was dominated by the message that we needed to burn calories.

Do cardio.

Run.

Walk.

Get your steps up.

Make yourself smaller.

But exercise has a much bigger role in our health than simply helping us expend energy.

Resistance training provides a stimulus for our muscles to adapt and become stronger.

And maintaining our muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older.

1. Strength training helps maintain and build muscle

Muscle isn't something we should only associate with bodybuilders.

We need muscle to live independently and perform everyday tasks.

Getting out of a chair.

Carrying shopping.

Picking up children or grandchildren.

Climbing stairs.

Gardening.

Travelling.

Getting up from the floor.

As we age, preserving our strength and physical function becomes increasingly important.

Strength training gives the body a reason to maintain and build muscle rather than focusing solely on weight loss.

2. Strength training becomes particularly important as we get older

Ageing changes the conversation around exercise.

When we're younger, fitness goals can often be centred around appearance.

As we get older, maintaining muscle, strength, balance, mobility and independence become increasingly important.

This is one reason women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond can benefit from looking beyond the scales.

Instead of only asking:

"How much weight do I want to lose?"

consider asking:

"How strong do I want to be ten, twenty or thirty years from now?"

That's a very different way of thinking about exercise.

3. Strength training supports bone health

Bone health is another major reason women shouldn't overlook resistance exercise.

Our bones aren't static structures. Like muscle, bone responds to the demands placed upon it.

Exercises that load the musculoskeletal system can form an important part of supporting bone health.

This becomes especially relevant for women around and after menopause, when declining oestrogen levels contribute to accelerated bone loss.

Strength training should therefore be viewed as much more than a way to change how your body looks.

It's an investment in your future physical health.

4. Strength training during perimenopause and menopause

For many women, perimenopause is the first time they notice that their body seems to respond differently to the same diet and exercise routine they've followed for years.

Body composition can change.

Muscle becomes increasingly important.

Bone health moves higher up the priority list.

Recovery may feel different.

This is exactly the stage of life when some women respond by eating less and doing more cardio.

But resistance training deserves a place in the conversation too.

The Australasian Menopause Society notes that resistance exercise can help build lean muscle and increase bone density, while also having benefits for blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.

For women approaching or going through menopause, the goal shouldn't necessarily be to exercise more and eat less.

A better question may be:

Am I doing the right kinds of exercise to support the body I want to have as I age?

5. Strength training can change body composition

This is where the scales can become misleading.

Two women can weigh exactly the same amount but have different proportions of fat and lean tissue.

And when you begin resistance training, your weight isn't necessarily the most useful measurement of progress.

You may notice:

• Your clothes fit differently
• You become more defined
• Your waist measurement changes
• Exercises become easier
• You can lift heavier weights
• You can complete more repetitions
• Everyday tasks feel easier

This is one reason we're passionate at Zing Wellbeing about encouraging women to look beyond simply making the number on the scales smaller.

Strong is a goal too.

6. Strength training and metabolism

You'll often see claims online that building muscle will "supercharge" your metabolism.

The reality is more nuanced.

Muscle is metabolically active tissue, but adding a modest amount of muscle isn't going to suddenly allow you to eat unlimited calories without gaining weight.

The bigger reason to prioritise muscle is that preserving lean mass is an important part of healthy ageing and body composition.

This distinction matters.

We don't need to exaggerate the benefits of strength training.

There are already plenty of legitimate reasons to do it.

Is walking enough exercise for women?

Walking is fantastic.

It's accessible, free and can be an excellent way to increase physical activity.

You absolutely don't need to stop walking.

But walking and resistance training perform different roles.

Think of it less as:

Walking OR strength training

and more as:

Walking AND strength training.

A balanced week can contain both cardiovascular movement and exercises specifically designed to challenge your muscles.

Do women need to lift heavy weights?

Not necessarily when you're starting.

The right resistance depends on your current strength, experience and health.

What's important is that the exercise provides enough challenge to stimulate adaptation.

As you become stronger, that means gradually progressing the exercise.

You might add resistance.

Increase the weight.

Complete another repetition.

Improve your range of movement.

Move from an easier exercise variation to a harder one.

This concept is called progressive overload.

You don't need to walk into a gym on day one and pick up the heaviest dumbbells you can find.

Start appropriately and progress.

Will lifting weights make women bulky?

This remains one of the most persistent myths around women's fitness.

Strength training doesn't automatically make women "bulky".

Significant increases in muscle size generally require appropriate training, sufficient nutrition, time and consistency.

For most women, avoiding resistance training because they're worried about accidentally becoming too muscular means missing out on its many health and functional benefits.

What if you've never done strength training before?

If you're among the 76% of Australian women not meeting the recommendation, don't read this statistic and think:

"Great. Another thing I'm failing at."

That's not the point.

Instead, think of it as an opportunity.

You don't need six gym sessions every week.

You don't need expensive equipment.

And you don't need to be fit before you begin.

If you're completely new to strength training, two sessions per week is a fantastic place to start.

A beginner strength workout could include movements targeting the major muscle groups, such as:

• A squat or sit-to-stand movement
• A hip-hinge movement
• A pushing movement
• A pulling movement
• A step-up or lunge variation
• Appropriate core exercises

Start with movements and resistance suitable for your current ability.

Technique matters more than ego.

How long should a strength workout take?

Here's another misconception worth breaking.

A strength workout doesn't have to take an hour.

Depending on the program, experience level and goals, an effective session can often be completed in around 20–40 minutes.

If finding an hour to exercise feels impossible, don't let that stop you from doing anything.

Twenty minutes is better than zero minutes.

The goal is to create a routine you can actually maintain.

What should women eat when strength training?

Exercise provides the stimulus.

Nutrition helps support recovery and adaptation.

Protein is particularly important because it provides amino acids the body uses to maintain and repair muscle tissue.

Rather than consuming almost all your protein at dinner, it can be useful to include sources of protein across your meals throughout the day.

Examples include:

• Eggs
• Greek yoghurt
• Cottage cheese
• Chicken
• Fish
• Lean meat
• Tofu and tempeh
• Beans and legumes
• Milk and dairy foods
• Protein-rich smoothies

Carbohydrates also matter, particularly when you're active, because they provide an important source of energy for exercise.

You don't need to eliminate carbohydrates to become leaner or stronger.

A balanced approach to nutrition is generally far easier to maintain than extreme restriction.

Strength training after 40: it's not too late to start

If you're in your 40s, 50s or 60s and have never lifted weights, you haven't "missed your chance".

You can start resistance training later in life.

In fact, this may be one of the most valuable times to begin prioritising your strength.

You don't need to compare yourself with somebody who has been training for ten years.

Start from your starting point.

Your first goal might simply be completing two short strength sessions this week.

Then do it again next week.

Over time, gradually progress.

What does a realistic week of exercise look like?

There's no single perfect exercise schedule for every woman.

But it doesn't need to be complicated.

You might walk regularly throughout the week and add two full-body strength workouts on non-consecutive days.

As your fitness improves, you can build from there.

The best exercise program isn't necessarily the hardest one.

It's the one you can do consistently.

The statistic we want Australian women to change

76%.

That's the proportion of Australian women aged 18–64 who weren't meeting the recommended two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity in the 2022 data.

We'd love to see that number change.

Not because every woman needs six-pack abs.

Not because we think women should spend their lives trying to change how their bodies look.

But because we want more women thinking about their future selves.

Strong muscles.

Strong bones.

Physical confidence.

Mobility.

Independence.

Healthy ageing.

The goal isn't simply to weigh less.

The goal is to build a body that can support you through the decades ahead.

Ready to get stronger?

If you're not currently strength training, you don't need to work out where to begin on your own.

The Zing Wellbeing app includes strength workouts designed for women alongside home workouts, healthy meal plans, thousands of recipes, health programs, expert coaching and community support.

Whether you're starting with your first strength workout or ready to take your training to another level, the aim is the same:

Start where you are. Build gradually. And become stronger for the years ahead.

START YOUR ZING WELLBEING JOURNEY HERE

Always seek individual medical or exercise advice if you have an injury, medical condition or concerns about starting a new exercise program.

Sources

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Physical activity, using 2022 ABS National Health Survey data.

Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 24-hour movement guidelines for all Australians.

Australasian Menopause Society, The Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Menopausal Health.