Many people are not aware of just how beneficial strength training is. They imagine it’s something for powerlifters or guys in the gym without realizing that there are psychological and physiological benefits for everyone. Strength training will benefit anyone, regardless of age, gender, current weight or fitness background and it can improve your life in many ways.
The top reasons to start strength training:
Transforms your shape naturally
Training with weights is the only way to transform your body shape naturally. Increasing your muscle mass will make you tighter, fitter, and more toned, adding more shape and definition to your body. It can be done for free and requires lots of hard work. Absolutely no drugs, pills, potions or surgery are necessary.
Boosts your metabolism
Lifting weights will boost your metabolism by building increased muscle, which is metabolically active tissue. In other words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest and the more food you can eat to maintain your weight.
Enhances your endurance
Another benefit of weightlifting is that it builds thicker muscle fibers in the body, which in turn increases your endurance performance. Muscle fibers contract to help generate movement in the body. Although frowned upon in the past, today many world-class athletes and endurance sportspeople train with weights to boost their performance.
Prevents diabetes and heart disease
When we train with weights, we deplete glycogen (stored carbohydrates) from the muscles to fuel our workouts. Our muscles then restore their glycogen levels by extracting glucose from the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels under control. This helps regulate sugar levels, warding off the risk of diabetes. Weight training also reduces visceral fat levels (fat stored around organs in the abdominal area), which reduces the risk of heart disease.
Fights aging
Lifting weights is a means to maintain a youthful appearance and healthy mind. As well as keeping you in shape, it also decreases the loss of muscle mass and promotes a highly functioning mind. It keeps your skin and muscles tight and toned, and on top of all that is reverses the effects of metabolic aging.
Relieves stress and boosts your confidence
Lifting weights is a great stress reliever, greatly contributing to overall happiness. It increases your confidence when you look better and feel better. You can also clearly see progress when you train with weights, as you eventually get stronger and will be able to complete exercises you were never able to do before. This creates a feeling of achievement and success which will only add positivity to your life.
Protects joints and prevents injury
Although many people perceive weight training as something that can contribute to injury if not performed correctly, it can have the opposite effect when done properly. Strength training increases muscle strength, which protects your joints from pressure placed directly on them. If you’re already suffering from pain in a specific joint, strengthening the muscles around the problem area can alleviate the pain and prevent further injury.
Getting started is easy
You don’t need a gym membership or expensive machines to start adding weight training to your daily routine. Body-weight exercises such as squatting on a chair at home, planks, and push-ups can be very effective while instruction videos and apps are widely available online. Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program and consider consulting with a fitness expert. Always be careful to keep good form and follow instructions to prevent injury.
Who doesn’t want to feel better, look better, and live a healthier and longer life? Add strength training to your workout program and start enjoying its many benefits now.
