Physiotherapist Tips for Women Aiming to Build Muscle for a Longer, Healthier Life: "The Sooner You Start, the Better"

Building muscle is essential for overall health and vitality, especially as you age. However, many people find it more challenging than they expected. If you’re a new mom or someone just starting out, gaining muscle mass can feel like a marathon rather than a sprint. For example, some new mothers aim to add around 2.5 kilograms of muscle over the course of a year, setting a sustainable pace so they don’t overwhelm their bodies or daily routines.

The key to this journey is adopting what experts call a ‘gentle consistency’—finding manageable, steady ways to grow your muscles without pushing too hard or burning out. It’s not about intense bursts of effort but creating a realistic schedule that fits into your life and allows steady progress. Starting now will give you the best chance to improve both how long and how well you live.

You might wonder why building muscle is so important in the first place. Well, muscle mass plays a crucial role in longevity. Research indicates that as muscle mass declines naturally with age, the risk of developing serious health conditions like stroke, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease rises significantly. This connection is independent of other factors, highlighting that muscle health is fundamental for overall wellness.

Beyond disease prevention, stronger muscles help regulate insulin sensitivity and boost your energy levels. They also shift your body composition in a positive direction and improve metabolic health. On a more day-to-day level, having solid muscle strength makes routine tasks much easier—whether it’s opening a heavy door or lifting your kids for their car seats. So, muscle strength really supports your independence and quality of life.

Muscles are soft tissues that contract and relax to enable almost every movement you make, not just during weightlifting but also in everyday activities. When you challenge your muscles by lifting heavier weights or handling heavy objects, you cause tiny, temporary tears in the muscle fibers. This is why you often feel sore after a tough workout. During the rest period following exercise, your muscles repair and rebuild stronger and larger than before, which is how growth occurs.

Several factors influence how quickly you can add muscle. One of the most important is your training history. If you’ve never worked out before, you can start seeing visible muscle gains between eight to twelve weeks. If you have prior experience, muscle growth can occur even faster because your neuromuscular pathways are already established — your body ‘remembers’ how to engage those muscles effectively. At first, the focus is on helping your nervous system learn to activate muscles properly before adding heavy weights.

Nutrition also plays a huge role. To build half a kilogram of muscle, you’ll need to consume enough protein to support muscle repair and growth—usually around 1.2 grams per kilogram of your body weight daily. Increasing your daily calorie intake by 200 to 500 calories with healthy food sources can also help provide the energy necessary for muscle building. Finally, training frequency and the number of sets and reps matter. While training just a couple of times a week is enough to see results, more frequent sessions with 4 to 8 sets per muscle group can accelerate progress.

Tracking exactly half a kilogram of muscle gain can be tricky without professional tools like body composition scans. Instead, focus on how you feel—noticeable changes might be subtle in the mirror but will show up in your strength, endurance, and ease with daily tasks. As your muscles grow, you'll likely feel more agile and capable, even if the visual difference is modest.

To help you build muscle efficiently and sustainably, consider the R.E.P.S. framework:

1. Repetitions: Choose a weight that challenges you to complete between 6 and 30 reps per set, reaching muscular fatigue by the last rep. Most people find 8 to 10 reps ideal for muscle growth. Using weights that allow more than 30 reps per set won't stimulate muscle development effectively.

2. Exercise Selection: Focus on simple movements that isolate one muscle group at a time. This targeted approach helps you reach muscle fatigue more reliably than multi-muscle exercises, ensuring every set counts. Aim for 3 to 4 sets per exercise to maximize benefits.

3. Protein Intake: Adequate protein is the cornerstone of muscle growth. Aim for about 1.2 grams per kilogram of your body weight daily to give your muscles the building blocks they need.

4. Structure Your Workouts: Work each major muscle group once or twice weekly on non-consecutive days to allow proper rest and recovery. Rest days are crucial for repair and growth.

Besides weight training, you can use bodyweight exercises that push your muscles to fatigue within 30 reps, such as push-ups, squats, or lunges. As you gain strength, gradually increase resistance, adjust reps, or extend the time your muscles stay under tension to keep challenging yourself—this approach is known as progressive overload.