Stength training has become quite popular lately, as there is a lot of evidence supporting the benefits of resistance training.
Strength training (resistance training, weight training or muscular training) is any physical movement in which you use your body weight or equipment (e.g., dumbbells and resistance bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance.
There are more than 5 reasons to start strength training, but I will keep it short.
Improve overall health
Strength training is a great way to improve your overall health.
It improves the health of your heart by decreasing blood pressure, lowers total and LDL cholesterol and strengthens the heart (it is a muscle after all), which helps improve circulation.
It helps lower blood sugar levels. The more muscle you have the easier for the body is to deal with extra sugar (glucose), by sending it to the muscle cells. It also lowers the risk of developing diabetes.
Improves bone density
Strength training improves bone density and strength. When you use weights when exercising, it creates extra temporary stress on your bones, which sends a signal to the body that the bones need to be stronger to deal with this stress in the future. And this applies to any age group. Our bone building cells work throughout our lives, so it will work no matter if you are 20 or 60 years old. And, as we know – strong bones mean less fractures later in life, less chance of osteoporosis, etc.
Helps with fat-loss
Strength training increases metabolism, which means that it will help you if you are trying to lose some fat. And I say fat, because initially you might not lose weight.
Muscles are heavier than fat. Some people experience weight increase after starting strength training, which might scare them off of it. But you shouldn’t measure things only by your bodyweight. It can be misleading.
Strength training helps develop more muscle mass. Muscles, in comparison to fat, are not only heavier, but also spend more energy – calories. The more muscle you have, the more calories you spend, even when not doing anything (RMR – resting metabolic rate).
The other benefit of strength training in relation to energy expenditure and fat-loss, is the fact that the metabolic rate is increased long after strength training exercise(s). So it means, that you will burn more calories days after exercising. This happens, because strength training (if done right) creates damage to muscles, that the body needs to repair. This takes time and energy.
When you develop additional muscle mass, you also might appear leaner, or as they like to say – more toned. Being toned just means that you have a good amount of muscle mass that is not covered by a lot of fat. Muscles give us those beautiful tight lines that we like so much.
Talking about muscles that we like most – abs. Strength training can help you reach that goal of revealing that six pack of yours. It develops the abdominal muscles, increases metabolic rate, which makes you burn off some of that belly fat you might have. The only thing to remember – don’t start eating double the amounts to compensate. It will ruin your progress of getting your abs to show.
Improves the quality of life
Strength training makes your life eventually so much better. You get not only stronger and physically healthier, but also improve your mental health and self-esteem. And this helps you have a longer and better life.
As you age, if you keep strength training, you will have better mobility, less mucle loss, better mental clarity and general vitality. This means, that you will not turn into someone who would need help to get up from seated position. You will be able to take care of your children and eventually enjoy your time with your grandchildren, without worrying too much about your physical capabilites. It’s something to think about.
Helps fight depression
Resistance training even has positive effect on depression and anxiety. Exercising makes body release endorphins, which makes you feel better and improves your mood. This is also one of the reasons I like strength training – I have found it to be theurapetic for me. If you are someone who struggles with stress, anxiety and/or depression, strength training might be your way out!
Conclusion
So there you have it! 5 (actually more) reasons to start or continue strength training. If you haven’t thought about it before, I hope I have given you some food for thought. If you have and you are planning to start, but don’t know how to do it – send me a message – I can help you out.
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