How my understanding of strength changed over time

Strength can show up in more ways than I once assumed.

For a long time, I thought strength meant lifting heavy weights. Over time, I came to see it as something much broader.

Growing up in a small town in India, there wasn’t really a concept of strength training. No one in my family did it, and weightlifting was something I associated with bodybuilders.

That stayed with me for a long time. I would occasionally use gym equipment, and I admired people who looked strong and toned, but I didn’t have a clear reason to train for strength myself.

A physical challenge

That changed when I signed up to climb mountains in Washington with a heavy pack.

It didn’t take long to realize I wasn’t prepared. The experience was humbling. My body just wasn’t ready for what the mountains demanded.

It made me realize I was missing a different kind of strength.

After that, I started adding some strength training into my routine. Nothing too structured at first. I took a few classes to learn the basics and tried to stay consistent, either at home or at the gym. Even without any prior experience, I started noticing a difference pretty quickly - I felt stronger and had more energy day to day.

Somewhere along the way, I started to think of strength training as lifting weights.

A different kind of strength

That idea didn’t last very long.

When I tried a few yoga classes, I struggled in ways I didn’t expect. Even though I felt stronger than before, yoga felt hard in a different way.

It made me realize that strength isn’t just about lifting weights. Training with your own body weight can be just as challenging.

Recovery

The most important shift came much later

My mom had double knee replacement surgery at 75, and I saw how important strength was during her recovery. It wasn’t about performance or appearance. It was about being able to move, recover, and get back to daily life.

During that process, I could see pretty clearly how strength training using body weight and simple aids like an elastic band supported recovery.

Looking Back

I had been thinking about strength too narrowly.

Over time, I started to see that strength matters - and it can show up in different ways.

It can come from lifting weights, from bodyweight exercises, from yoga, or just from staying active in ways that challenge your body.

There isn’t a single way to train for strength. And in some ways, that makes it easier to start.