Strength is a physical attribute usually taken for granted, and many people don't consider it a necessary attribute for health.

As we age, typically after 25, our strength slowly begins to diminish. This doesn't have to be the case if you perform weight- training exercises. You can actually increase your strength at any age if you weight-train consistently.

Why is strength training important? You can lose up to 12 percent of your muscle mass per decade starting at age 30. Women can lose up to 10 percent of their bone mass every decade after 30.

Your ability to recruit, or use, muscle to perform tasks is initiated by the activation of the nervous system to fire a specific muscle. Nerve conductivity also declines with age if not used. This is why as people get older, balance becomes challenged. So, by having a smaller amount of muscle that's also weakened, less bone mass, and poor balance, you are more likely to become inactive.

Inactivity leads to a greater potential to add body fat. This is what happens to most Americans, but it doesn't have to be this way. Too many people accept the inevitability of a deteriorating body and more body fat with aging. Studies show that more than 75 percent of our population is physically inactive. So while most people are living longer lives, the quality of life is eroding.

There's an old saying that I tell my clients all the time: "Live long, die young." Aging should not be an agonizing experience. Instead, we should look forward to those years and greater life experiences. As we age, we become wiser, gaining knowledge about the world and our interests. We become more efficient at our work and are looked upon for advice. Aging is a valued experience, so if you don't like what happens to your body, change it.

The best way to maintain a youthful appearance is to weight train. I hear too often that "I am too old to lift weights." On the contrary, lifting weights is more important for the older population than the younger. Studies show that people in their 70s and even 80s have increased strength levels up to 100 percent.

Weight training increases the strength of muscle, bone, tendon, and ligaments. It also improves balance, alertness, and self- confidence.

Strength training is just as important as any other exercise, if not the most important.

Many people perform aerobic exercise and tend to ignore weights.

This is because people are unfamiliar with using them. The best way to get started is by performing exercises using your own body weight in the privacy of your home. Start off with some push-ups and deep knee bends (squats). One of my previous columns explained the squat technique.

Beginners should spend only 10 minutes per day performing these movements. As you gain more confidence, start adding movements like the step-up and chin-up, also outlined in previous columns.

If chin-ups are too advanced for you, then get to the gym and use "selectorized" machines. These machines with weight stacks are called selectorized because all you do is move a pin to adjust the weights.

Most people still call these machines Nautilus, which was one of the first fitness equipment manufacturing companies to sell selectorized machines in the early 1970s. Now there are hundreds of manufacturers that compete in a billion-dollar industry.

Equipment has become so specialized that it is relatively easy to use. A typical piece of gym equipment costs $2,500 to $4,000. For that kind of money, the machines better be easy. If the gym isn't for you, invest in dumbbells and consider hiring a trainer to come to your house for a session or two. Most adult schools offer night courses in weight-training techniques.

The means for your body to stay young through weight training are there. You just need to get started. If you read this column and don't weight train, then start. I know you want to or you wouldn't be reading.

Once you get going and see and feel a change, it's unlikely you'll quit.

Good Luck!