Empower Yourself

I am fairly typical of the trend now to have children late, and I have found myself wondering how I am going to stay healthy and young enough to enjoy my children and grandchildren, when I am already in my forties. (My daughter is still in pre-school!) So, the title of the book Strong Women Stay Young, by Miriam E. Nelson did grab my attention.
Nelson writes, from a doctors perspective, about the loss of bone density which is common in the aging body. What astounded me is that you can build bone density back up. How amazing is the human body?! To do this, you need to do weight bearing exercises, and Nelson goes on to show which exercises will do that, what equipment you will need, and how to do them at home. You only need to exert yourself twice a week, and although the author claims it will only take half an hour, I can only get the workout down to 45 minutes.
Do I like doing this? NO. But I feel great! I feel strong. Everyday I have reason to acknowledge my strength as I pick up a child, carry the shopping in, walk the hills in my local area, or set up camp (while pursuing my newest interest, camping).
This strength gives me motivation to keep up the twice weekly effort. I also find making my health and body's longevity a priority really supports my self esteem and self respect.
So, some weight training can both strengthen your emotional being as well as your physical being.