Strength training is important because it can help you burn fat, build muscle, and improve your overall health. Strength training can also help you maintain your muscle mass as you age, which can help you stay independent and mobile as you get older.
Strength training can build muscles and increase bone density, but new research suggests it might also decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.
A recent study found that women who did two 45-minute strength-training sessions a week for a year reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by 34%. In contrast, another study showed that people who did resistance training in addition to their cardio routine ended up reducing their risk of heart disease by 40%.
If you’re among those who haven’t tried strength training yet, here are some hidden health benefits that you may not have known about:
1. It burns more calories.
One of the most important benefits of strength training, according to the American Heart Association, is that it can help you lose weight and keep it off. Because muscular tissue burns more calories than fat, strength training can be an important aspect of weight loss.
The more muscle tissue your body has, the more calories you’ll burn around the clock due to the metabolic activity of muscular tissue, which burns more calories at rest than fat.
As a result, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate and the faster your metabolism.
2. It protects your bone health.
Our bones become less solid and more porous (osteopenia and osteoporosis). Because the alteration in the appearance of our bones on an x-ray can be significant, this loss of bone mass is referred to as a “silent thief” because no symptoms are usually present.
Multiple studies have shown that strength training is beneficial for men and women, including those with osteoporosis or low bone mineral density. According to the CDC, strength training helps build stronger bones, muscles, and joints.
Strength training, or resistance exercise, involves using weights, resistance bands, or your body weight to build muscle and strength. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training for most adults at least two times a week. For older adults, the recommendation is at least once per week.
3. It has a positive impact on diabetes.
According to one study, adding strength training to your workout boosts your body’s ability to digest insulin. If you have diabetes, this is critical since it helps you maintain blood sugar levels and, in certain situations, can even lessen the need for medication.
4. It boosts your energy and mood.
Like all exercises, strength training raises your circulating levels of endorphins, improving your mood and increasing your energy level. But unlike aerobic exercise, which temporarily increases energy levels, strength training has long-lasting effects on energy.
5. It reduces anxiety.
Working on your strength and muscle tone is not solely beneficial for physical reasons. Strength training provides numerous mental and physical advantages. It’s extremely good at reducing anxiety by releasing endorphins into your system, and it helps relax your mind and body while also alleviating muscular discomfort. It also enhances sleep quality and lowers cortisol levels in the body.
Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. When you exercise, you release endorphins into your body that help alleviate any discomfort caused by these mental disorders. By regularly engaging in workouts that increase your strength, you can avoid many harmful diseases.
6. It improves sleep quality and reduces daytime fatigue.
In a study involving older men aged 65 to 80 years, resistance training changed sleep patterns via less awakening and deeper sleep in those who participated in a single training session at 60% of their one-repetition maximum.
While many of us think that cardio is the best way to get in shape and improve our sleeping habits, strength training has been shown to enhance the quality of sleep and deal with daytime fatigue.
One of the best ways to improve your sleep quality is through exercise. Strength training exercises are beneficial for this purpose because they increase your heart rate and help your body relax so you can fall asleep more easily at night.
Strength training is key to maintaining your health, and it’s become too important to ignore. If you are not active, or if you avoid strength training because you think it’s ineffective or unnecessary, keep in mind that you’re doing yourself a disservice. Resistance exercises are extremely beneficial for your well-being—and strength training should be an important part of your exercise routine.
It can help improve your mobility, balance, and flexibility while warding off chronic diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, etc. It can even help you get better sleep at night.
If you are interested in adding strength training to your workout routine, we’d love for you to work with us at www.agelessworkout.com or email us at [email protected]
