Strength Training? Why is it so important? Well, we all know that regular exercise helps prevent many of the common ailments and has a positive impact on our mental wellbeing, but a variety of exercise methods are important to achieve this, with strength training being at the top end of the list.
Focusing just on cardiovascular exercise is selling yourself short and will prevent you from gaining all of the health benefits you should be receiving from your regular exercise routine. So why is strength training overlooked by so many people? According to reports, some women believe they will bulk up and appear manly, saying, "I don't want Madonna arms!" The elderly may be concerned about strength training being excessively strenuous or unsafe, and parents may believe that strength training poses too much risk for their children, who are still developing into their adult bodies.
The reality is that almost everyone, regardless of their gender or age, benefits from strength training. Working your muscles with weight-bearing exercises will help to boost your metabolism, improve muscle condition, and improve your overall health and wellbeing. In addition to this, you will also achieve and maintain a healthier bone mass, lose excess fat, and prevent age-related muscle loss. Let's take a close look at three of the key benefits here:
Boost Metabolism
As you increase your muscle mass from strength training, you boost your resting metabolism, which helps your body burn more calories throughout the day and night.
Improve muscle condition
In addition to looking good, conditioned muscles will help you reduce the risk of injury. Improved muscle condition across your whole body will ensure you are less likely to experience joint or muscle strains or tears while you exercise.
Improve overall health
Strength training can be difficult at times, but the positive effects that stronger muscles and joints will give you, plus that 'I'm awesome!' feeling as you strut out of the gym, will have an all-around positive impact on your general health and well-being!
As you can see, the benefits of strength training are broad and vast, so try fitting in 2 to 3 strength training sessions a week at the gym as part of your overall exercise routine.
Written by Jasmine Green
Reference: https://www.plusfitness.com.au/blog/3-reasons-add-strength-training