Where to Start

clags301

I'm 5'8" female, 49 years old and at goal (thin, size 4). I am active, but I have never really done any strength training. Wanting to gain a little muscle, nothing radical, but want to feel and look strong. No clue where to start. Any guidance from those with successful experience and/or expertise would be appreciated.
Btw, I don't like going to the gym, so the more I can do at home, the better.

kaizaku

You can do squats, push ups, ab workout at home.

canadianlbs

i started at the same age as you, three years ago . . . still don't know if i know how to 'look' strong

for getting to actually BE strong though, i gateway'd with stronglifts 5x5. the big game changer though was when someone mailed me mark rippetoe's book starting strength. sl 5x5 is one version of 'what' to do [good for newbies if you can stand the hysterical late-night-car-salesman tone of the website]. but ss was more helpful when it came to 'how' to do it.

Saaski

I also work out primarily at home doing body-weight exercises. Push-ups, supermans, planks, squats--and I installed a chin-up bar so I can do chin-ups/pull-ups/shoulder engaging. If you've never done any of that before, start by doing as many as you can, or for as long as you can. It might be five push-ups, it might be a fifteen-second plank, but then you can just work your way to higher numbers from there.

I'd also suggest looking on youtube both for at-home workouts (to maybe find something you like doing), and to learn proper postures for doing these movements.