But not Leslie Frazer, a retired Army major. Frazer and a few other women are downstairs at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) gym in Building 89 at Naval Support Activity Annapolis lifting weights.

‘‘I retired a little over four years ago and missed the positive effects of regular physical fitness training,” said Frazer. ‘‘So I was looking for a way to get back to it.”

MWR has put together a program Women on Weights, or ‘‘WOW,” which takes place every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. Brian Williams, a National Strength and Conditioning Association-certified personal trainer, leads the program.

‘‘One benefit [for women to lift weights] is an improvement in functional strength and the ability to perform everyday tasks easier,” said Williams. ‘‘After working out for a little while, people find it’s easier to go up the stairs, carry the groceries into the house, and pick up the grandkids and things like that.”

University of Arizona researchers showed that women who lift weights can maintain and build muscular strength. The study also showed that women can preserve the muscle mass lost during the aging process.

‘‘Secondly, resistance training is useful in improving bone density. This is especially important in women, because statistically they are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men,” said Williams.

Additional studies found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain approximately two pounds of muscle, but will lose 3.5 pounds of fat in that same timeframe. Also, it has been proven that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did.

‘‘I’ve only just begun the WOW program, but I can already feel a difference in how my body is responding to the weight training,” said Frazer. ‘‘Weight training tends to make me happier, especially when it’s complete, giving me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.”

‘‘I enjoy seeing the group dynamic of the class,” said Williams. ‘‘The women are able to feed off of each other. Even things that you know are going to make you sore the next day don’t seem as bad when you have someone to commiserate with. In addition, it helps me appreciate the more basic aspects of fitness. When someone can say that their clothes fit a little looser, or they are not as tired or stressed as they used to be - that’s the goal.”

WOW is free and open to all adult women with access to the gym, including active duty, retirees, family members, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors. No signup is required. For more information call MWR at 410-293-9204 the day before for updated class schedule information.