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Want a stronger body this year? Our newsletter can help you reach your goal

LA Johnson/NPR

Searching for a New Year's resolution or a new habit that will change your life?

Why not try building some muscle and getting stronger?

The science is clear that resistance training has massive benefits for your health and well-being. It's about putting your muscles to work by using weights, elastic bands, your own body weight, and so on. And just about everyone can make progress.

But starting a routine and sticking to it can be tough. That's why we created Life Kit's Guide to Building Strength. It's a free, limited-run newsletter series that offers guidance on how to create a workout routine that gets results. You can do this anywhere, with minimal equipment. No experience required!

How to sign up 

To sign up for this one-month newsletter series, click here and enter your email address. Over the course of a few weeks, we'll send you the essentials of gaining muscle and strength, based on the latest research and interviews with some of the leading experts in the world. Sign up at any time to start. 

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Muscle-building tips, straight to your inbox 

Maybe you've got some dusty dumbbells in the closet, a crisp new gym membership, or none of the above. Whatever your starting point, Life Kit is here to help you. Bottom line? Resistance training doesn't have to eat up endless hours or be all that complex.

Here's a sampling of what you'll get in our newsletter:

  • Expert advice for beginners on getting started 
  • Strength exercises to practice at the gym or at home 
  • Assumptions that may hold us back but shouldn't 
  • When to expect results — and how to make progress

Health benefits of resistance training 

Now, you may be wondering: Before I go through all this hassle, is this kind of training really for me? What if I'm new to all of this? Or lifting weights has never been my thing?

According to research — and yes, there's lots of it — challenging your muscles comes with big returns. Here are a few reasons to try it.

🛏️ It can help you live longer. As early as our 30s and 40s, we start to gradually lose muscle. That is, unless we do something about it. There's ample evidence that strength is a powerful predictor of how long — and how well — you live. And it's never too late to start.

⚖️  It's good for your metabolism. Adding more muscle has big payoffs. It increases your lean body mass and helps you burn more energy, lose fat and control your blood sugar. Some research finds this can happen in a matter of months.

❣️ It boosts your mental health. It can be a powerful tool for dealing with anxiety and depression. In fact, multiple studies show it can lead to meaningful improvements in these symptoms. And even a low-intensity program and light weights can be effective.

After this newsletter series ends, you'll receive weekly emails from Life Kit on lifestyle topics such as health, money, relationships and more.

Sign up for Life Kit's Guide to Building Strength now


This newsletter was edited by Malaka Gharib, Carmel Wroth, Meghan Keane and Emily Barocas. Copy editing by Pam Webster. The visual editor is Beck Harlan.

Copyright 2025 NPR

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[Copyright 2024 NPR]