DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband and I are in our late 50s. A year ago, we changed our lifestyle and diet to lose excess weight and become fit. I lost 10 pounds, and he lost 18. We are in good health and have good upper-body muscles via weight training.

In spite of walking and bicycling every day, we both have a flat derriere and thin thighs. We are not alone, having observed many in our age range with flat butts and skinny legs. Do you have any recommendations? — V.T.

ANSWER: Professional bike riders and professional long-distance runners have large thigh and buttock muscles. Most of the rest of us are not on a level with those athletes. For the average person to gain muscle size in those areas, resistance exercise is necessary. Resistance means weights have to be used. I am describing the following exercises without mentioning weights. Perform them — once you get the hang of how to do them — with a barbell resting on your shoulders behind your neck. Start with the barbell alone. When you can do 12 repetitions of the exercises, add five pounds to 10 pounds of weight to the barbell, and do only eight repetitions. Keep doing this as you reach the 12-rep goal.

Squats are good for the thighs and the buttocks. The squat is done by squatting. Bend the knees until the thighs are on a level parallel to the ground. Then straighten up.

Lunges are another good exercise for both the buttocks and the thighs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one foot and bend the other leg until the knee touches the ground, a move similar to genuflecting. Rise to the standing position and then alternate the legs.

Chair squats are especially good for the buttocks. Put a kitchen chair in front of you. Rest your hands on the top of the chair. Bend as though you were lowering yourself into the seat of an imaginary chair. Straighten up and repeat. It’s all but impossible to do this with a barbell resting on your shoulders.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read with interest your response to R.J. regarding interval training and the fact that she had trouble keeping up with her husband’s walking pace. I am 5 feet 3 inches. My husband is 6 feet. For every three steps he takes, I have to take four or five to maintain the same pace. Is it possible that RJ and I are performing a more intense workout than our spouses? — P.P.

ANSWER: You are. It’s much more strenuous for you than it is for your husband. I’m sure R.J. will appreciate your pointing this out.

I suggested for R.J. interval training, training in which she alternates short periods of very intense walking or running interspersed with periods of a relaxed pace where she can regain her breath. The idea is to start with very short intense periods, less than a minute, and with longer relaxed periods. The idea is to very gradually lengthen the intense periods and shorten the relaxed ones.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I enjoy nontechnical mountain climbing/hiking, especially out West. Stair climbing, bridge walking and high-repetition barbell squats are used in preparation for this. How do these various physical activities compare with other forms of exercise and conditioning? — D.K.

ANSWER: They compare most favorably. They’re all hard exercises and require all-out efforts.

It’s fair for you on your own to make the comparison by judging for yourself how these exercises feel to you. If they feel like they’re quite strenuous, they are.

That criterion is called “perceived exertion,” and it’s a valid measure of exercise intensity.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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