Cherry Healey has shared her advice for anyone who wants to start strength training but feels intimidated by the prospect – particularly as they get older.
‘It is never too late to start building muscle, and actually the older we get the more important it is…for longevity, bone health, balance, independence, and getting off the floor without needing a committee,’ the TV presenter said in an Instagram post.
‘There’s a tendency to think, as we get older, we need to slow down, or “It’s a bit too late for me”. It absolutely isn’t,’ she reassured viewers.
And getting started doesn’t have to mean throwing yourself straight into hour-long gym sessions.
‘You don’t need to wait. You can start right now…and really small. You don’t need to do a great big hour-long gym session,’ she added.
Cherry has also shared clips of her own strength training, explaining that she’s working out to get strong ‘for the version of me who can carry her own bags [and] be first on the dance floor’.
So, if you want to start strength training but aren’t sure where to begin, these are her four tips for making it feel more manageable – and, crucially, sustainable.
Cherry Healey’s 4 tips for starting strength training1. Start at home
Cherry acknowledges that stepping into a gym for the first time can feel intimidating.
‘If you’ve never stepped foot in a gym or lifted a weight, it must feel very daunting,’ she said.
If that’s the case, there’s nothing wrong with starting at home. Cherry suggests buying a couple of weights and following an online workout to help you get comfortable with the basics.
Plenty of effective routines require minimal equipment and can be done in your living room, from 5-minute daily workouts and upper-body strength exercises to standing core movements and 20-minute full-body workouts.
2. Start with your bodyweight
Not ready to pick up weights yet? You can still start strength training using your own body weight as resistance.
‘Your body is a natural weight. Just try a couple of press-ups, whether it’s against the wall, or start on your knees, or you can go full hog,’ Cherry said.
There’s research to support the effectiveness of bodyweight training, too.
One 2023 randomised controlled trial comparing bodyweight squats with barbell back squats in young women found that the bodyweight group improved lower-body strength and muscle thickness after six weeks, particularly in the glutes, calves and quads.
3. Make your workouts progressively harder
Start with whatever feels manageable, Cherry recommends – then gradually increase the challenge as you get stronger.
This is known as progressive overload: progressively increasing the demands placed on your muscles so they continue to adapt.
The increases don’t have to be dramatic. You might gradually add weight, perform more reps or sets, or progress to a more challenging variation of an exercise.
‘Start to really challenge yourself,’ says Cherry.
The importance of progressive overload is well established. One recent study involving 55 untrained young women found that those who progressively increased the resistance over eight weeks experienced greater muscle growth than those who continued using the same load.
4. Prioritise consistency over long workouts
‘Whatever that looks like for you, even 10 or 15 minutes consistently will make a difference,’ says Cherry.
Shorter workouts can be particularly useful when you’re trying to establish an exercise habit because they’re easier to fit into a busy day.
One small 2025 study of a five-minute daily exercise programme found that 93–94% of participants adhered to the home-based routine over eight weeks. At 12 months, 90% reported continuing some form of physical activity. With only 10 participants, the findings need to be interpreted cautiously, but they offer some initial evidence that keeping the time commitment low may make regular exercise easier to sustain.
Very short bouts of activity performed throughout the day – often called exercise snacking – can also be beneficial.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analysed data from more than 400 participants who completed exercise snacks lasting five minutes or less at least twice a day for two weeks. Activities included stair climbing, lower-body strength exercises and tai chi.
These short bursts of activity significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness in younger inactive adults and muscular endurance in older adults.
The takeaway? You don’t need to wait until you have the time, confidence or equipment for the ‘perfect’ strength workout. Starting small, finding movements you can do comfortably and gradually building from there is still progress.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
