Why Leg Strength Matters at Every Age (and Why Walking Isn’t Enough)

 Why You Still Need Leg Strength (Even When You Think You Don't)

I once had a client look me straight in the face and say, "I don't need to do any legwork. My legs are already strong."

And listen… I tried to keep a neutral Pilates-instructor smile, but inside - a tiny head shake.

Because yes, her legs were fine. She could climb stairs without sounding like a rusty hinge. She liked hiking. She felt strong-ish. But strong enough to swear off leg training forever? Oh honey. No ma'am.

Are you one of these people?

Be honest.

If you nodded even a little, you need to hear what exercise physiologist Dr. Andy Galpin has to say about strength. He breaks it down in a way that completely changed how I think about leg training.

Here's the big takeaway:

We can all have stronger legs. Even you. Even me. Even your friend who swears she's already too muscular.

And the truth is: Leg strength is not something you achieve once and then check off like a Costco errand. It's a spectrum. A sliding scale. Most people are lounging somewhere in the lukewarm middle without realizing it.

This is what Dr. Galpin is always preaching - the difference between the strength you think you have and the strength your body actually needs to function like a human who can stand up, sit down, and live independently without doing that little grunt-groan combo every time you get up from a low chair.

Here's a stat that slapped me across the face: If you break your hip, there's a 30% chance you won't live longer than a year. Thirty. Percent. This happened to my grandmother, and it wrecked me.

So when someone tells me, "My legs are strong enough," I want to lovingly escort them to a wall sit and say, "Prove it."

And while we're busting myths…

Let me gently drop this truth bomb:

Walking is not leg exercise. Walking is activity. Steps. Movement. Lovely. But not strength training. And the wild part? We should ALL be hitting 10–12K steps a day just for basic health. Like a bare-minimum "Congratulations, you're alive" requirement.

This is exactly why I'm excited about building leg-strength sessions into my membership. Not because I want you to look like a powerlifter. Not because I'm trying to ruin your life with lunges. But because strong legs = freedom. Freedom to move. Freedom to age well. Freedom to get off the couch and even the toilet without performing a small theatrical production.

Your legs carry you through your entire life.

Want to build that freedom? I'll show you how inside my membership - let's make sure your legs are ready for everything life throws at them.