IF YOU THINK STRENGTH TRAINING IS JUST FOR BLOKES WITH BIG BICEPS, THINK AGAIN. HERE ARE SIX GREAT REASONS TO INCLUDE STRENGTH TRAINING INTO YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE...

If you don't use them, you'll definitely lose them. As you age, your muscle mass declines at a rate of about one per cent each year from 40 years onward - unless you do something about it!

Strength training will not only make you stronger and prevent this loss of muscle tissue, but you'll feel more toned, be able to manage your weight more easily and find it easier to complete your everyday activities with a stronger frame.

While aerobic exercise offers many benefits, there's no better way to lose weight, burn fat, look and feel stronger than through strength training.

Although lifting weights is one approach, you don't have to buy special equipment or have a gym membership to gain the benefits associated with strength training. Simple exercises that use your own body weight such as squats, lunges and push-ups help increase your strength and make you look and feel more toned.

An important factor when strength training is maintaining perfect form in each of the movements you practice - this challenges your muscles to work harder, so they adapt and grow stronger .

Besides being a quick and effective way for you to burn fat and tone your body, strength training offers many other benefits, making it key to your overall health and fitness.

Here are six great reasons to start including strength training into your workout routine:

1. Burns fat and calories - If you're looking to lose weight, burn fat and keep it off, strength training is a great way to rev up your metabolism and turn your body into a calorie burning machine! Not only will you burn calories during your workout, but also up to 48 hours after your workout is complete.

2. Builds lean muscle - Strength training increases your metabolic rate, which is responsible for burning calories and makes it easier to keep your weight stable as you get older. If you've dieted in the past, you may have lost not just fat tissue, but also lean tissue, making it harder to keep weight off. Rebuild those lost muscles and it will be easier to maintain your weight.

3. Improved overall health - Strength training not only reduces your risk of illness, but also decreases cholesterol levels and reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for women in Australia.

4. Bones benefit too - Peak bone density for women occurs at age 20, so that means every year thereafter you are losing bone mass. Strength training develops stronger bones, thereby preventing the loss of bone mass and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

5. Every day activities will be easier - Having a strong body makes every day activities easier and less likely to end in an episode of back pain or strained muscles. With strength training, you'll be in better shape to tackle physical challenges, your posture and core strength will be improved and you'll reduce your risk if injury too!

6. Strong muscles mean strong ligaments and tendons - Strength training not only builds muscle, but also strengthens the ligaments and tendons supporting your joints. Balance and co-ordination are improved, and you'll not only have fewer injuries, but you'll recover quicker from them too.

Strength training burns fat, builds lean muscle, and improves your general health and performance while reducing the risk of injury, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. If you aren't already including strength training into your workout routine, start today - there are just too many benefits you're missing out on!

Richard Garard is a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach specialising in women's health and fitness. He is the founder of She FITNESS, which offers group and individual fitness programs for women of all ages and levels of fitness. For more information visit www.SheFITNESS.com.au.