We may slow down a bit as we get older, but poor health is not inevitable as we age. With a commitment to keep our bodies moving, we can hope to be independent and active, and remain in our own homes until a ripe old age.

Our secret weapon, doctors and physical trainers say, is exercise — specifically, strength training.

Fitness experts are recommending strength training more often, for both women and men, older adults and younger adults. Strength training is critical in combating natural declines in muscle mass, bone density and metabolism, and it helps us shed inches, too.

Strength training also helps to decrease back pain, reduce arthritic discomfort, and helps prevent or manage some diabetic symptoms.

So why aren’t we all doing some form of strength training? Perhaps these excuses sound familiar:

  • “There isn’t a health club in the area that caters to out-of-shape adults.”
  • “I’d like to do some exercises at home, but I am not sure which are best for me.”
  • “What equipment should I be using?”
  • “I am away from home a lot. Can’t commit.”
  • “I’m too old to start.”
  • “I don’t have time.”

If you want to be able to stand without aid, get out of bed safely, bend over to retrieve things, and be limber enough to play catch with a grandchild in the years to come, exercise — particularly strength training — is the best way to achieve this.

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There is a critical component to weight training, however, and to all exercise, whether it’s jogging, calisthenics, or simple stretching.

You’ve got to do it right.

People are working out harder than ever and increasingly putting themselves at risk for injury. Across the U.S., 1,500 people ended up in the emergency room as a result of gym injuries in 2007. By 2012, that number had grown to 460,000, according to legalmatch.com.

If you don’t have proper form when exercising, it’s as if you gassed up your car, put premium motor oil in it, and then zoomed away — with the emergency brake on. Not only won’t you go fast, you’ll likely do some damage if you drive for long.

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If your form isn’t right, you’ll quickly tire and injure yourself. Aching muscles will dissuade you from continuing to exercise, and some of your pain — like back pain — may be permanent.

Related: Get Off the Pain Train

Mike Boyle, a personal trainer and owner of Body by Boyle in Woburn, Massachusetts, says correct workout form is key. Boyle has worked with pro athletes, celebrity clients, and average people seeking strength and better health, and likes to keep things simple in the gym.

“Correct form is basically the right muscle moving the right joint at the right time,” he said. “When your form is bad, you are trying to find another muscle to do the job.”

Correct form is highly desirable over the amount of times you can perform the exercise. Performing exercises incorrectly stresses muscles you never intended to stress. Yanking your neck during sit-ups, bouncing down into a squat, or bobbing repeatedly during a simple stretch can cause both acute and chronic injury, and can lead to pain and decreased mobility. It is better to start with little to no weight — until you get your form right — than to do many repetitions the wrong way.

Boyle prefers using one’s own weight to perform resistance exercise, rather than circuit training on machines.

“Workout machines were made for a ‘theoretical person,’ one individual of a certain size and weight. They also ask the body to do unrealistic things; we are isolating muscles, when muscles in real life don’t work in isolation. They work together. Exercising as naturally as possible, the way the body naturally moves, is optimal.”

Boyle recommends exercises like holding a plank yoga pose to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

“The abdominal muscles were not designed to pull your ribcage forward to your knees on a machine,” he said. “Build that abdominal strength by gradually increasing the amount of time you can hold a correct plank pose.”

Related: Extreme-ly Stressful Sports

In terms of incorrect form, Boyle said “every compromise has an effect, and every time you cheat, there is an effect. You pay for that bad form somewhere.”

He dismisses extreme workouts, and is opposed to Crossfit.

“It is completely unregulated, and they emphasize ‘killer workouts’ over everything else. To me, that’s not a workout. That’s a cult,” he said.

How do you know if your workout is working, and your form correct? Judge by the way you feel, and always work with a professional if there is any doubt.

“As we get older, mobility is everything,” Boyle said. “Ask yourself: How do I feel when I first get up in the morning? This is when we can judge how we’re really doing, those first few minutes after waking up. If you’re working out properly, you should be feeling progressively better, not worse.”