Long Live Leg Days!
Legs are suddenly having a moment, and some fascinating research is helping explain why.
We already know strong legs matter. But research is putting another measure in the spotlight: POWER. Studies have linked greater lower-body power with better mobility and physical function, and even longevity
So what exactly is power?
Strength is how much force our muscles can produce. Power adds SPEED to that strength.
When we are getting out of a chair, strength helps us stand up. Power helps us get up quickly.
Strength gets us up the stairs. Power puts more spring to our step.
Most importantly, if we trip over our dog or miscalculate a curb, power helps our legs react quickly enough to catch us.
Researchers learned that muscle power is the ability to generate force quickly, and we’re learning how important it is for mobility, balance, independence and longevity.
Women Used to Want Smaller Legs…
For decades, women were encouraged to think about our legs in terms of how they looked. Were they thin enough? Toned enough? How could we make them smaller?
What’s happening inside our legs may matter a whole lot more than how small they look.
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Being “thin” isn’t necessarily the ultimate goal. As we get older, sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength, becomes increasingly common. Without regular strengthening, we can lose muscle and strength faster than we realize. The good news is that our muscles remain remarkably trainable.
If we want our legs to keep doing the things we love, we need to keep building both muscle and power.
Why Our Legs Matter
Our lower body houses some of our largest and hardest-working muscles. Our glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves help us:
- Get up from chairs and the floor
- Climb stairs and hills
- Walk and propel ourselves forward
- Balance and stay steady
- Change direction quickly
- Catch ourselves when we stumble
That last one is especially important. When we miss a step, trip over a curb or lose our balance, our legs need to respond fast. Strength, balance and power work together to help us recover.
Research increasingly connects lower-body strength and power with physical function and mobility. And those abilities become even more consequential as the years go by. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among Americans 65 and older.
The muscles we’re building today are the muscles we’re counting on tomorrow.
Strong + Fast = Powerful
For years, the conversation around healthy muscle focused on how much we had and how strong it was. Researchers are now paying more attention to how quickly our muscles can produce force.
That makes sense when we think about how we actually use our legs. A flight of stairs, a tennis ball we have to chase, a dog suddenly pulling on a leash, a quick change of direction or an unexpected stumble can require strength in a hurry.
A 2025 systematic review found that lower whole-leg power was associated with future fall risk in older adults. Other research has connected lower-body power with mobility and physical function.
Muscle gives us strength. Power helps us put that strength to work quickly.
How Do We Build More Capable Legs?
There isn’t one magic leg exercise. We benefit from challenging our legs in different directions, through different ranges of motion and at different speeds.
SQUAT: Builds the muscles we use to get ourselves up.
LUNGE: Challenges single-leg strength, stability and balance.
STEP: Prepares us for stairs, curbs, hills and everyday movement.
MOVE SIDE TO SIDE: Builds lateral strength and our ability to change direction.
RISE ON OUR TOES: Strengthens our calves for walking, balance and propulsion.
ADD SOME SPEED: Knee drives, quicker steps and more powerful pushes teach our muscles to generate force faster.
Training power doesn’t require jumping. We can push out of a squat with more intention, drive a knee with more force or make a lateral step bigger and stronger while keeping our feet firmly planted.
Our Calves Have a Side Gig
We’ve talked about this one before. Our calves don’t simply move our feet and ankles. Every time they contract, they also help push venous blood from our lower legs back toward our heart, which is why the calf-muscle pump has earned the nickname our body’s “second heart.”
Walking, stepping, calf raises and dancing all keep those muscles working. For muscles that don’t get nearly the attention of our glutes and quads, our calves are rocking it!
We’ve Got It Goin’ ON…
Throughout each Mojo class, we’re squatting, lunging, kicking, driving our knees, rising onto our toes, traveling side to side and changing direction.
Sometimes we slow things down to build strength and control. Other times the music kicks in and we add speed, intensity and power. Because every move has a power setting, we decide how much to bring. We can sit a little deeper, push a little stronger, drive the knee with more intention or make that lateral movement bigger…As long as you are challenging yourself, you are good to GO.
Don’t forget that stretching is just as important as the workout itself!
The best way to predict our future is to create it.
Nothing good comes without a little effort. It sure is more fun when we do it together.
Come on over and PLAY with us this week. 💜💚
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