05/02/2023
The Benefits of Strength Training is about way more than just losing weight!
In fact I would say if that is the only reason you lift it's time to reframe that thinking and start looking at the bigger picture. By doing so you might also avoid burnout and or giving up as your motivator, your reason for lifting isn't then tied to a number on the scale. Instead it's tied to a greater incentive..your health both physically and mentally! There are so many benefits to resistance training, even if you already have an aerobic program, because everything in the body is connected, having a solid muscular foundation is important in the way one's body moves, heals and interacts with other body systems.
Below are just a few benefits you might consider using as your motivator to strength train and reasons to focus on next time you feel like giving up.
1)It Can Help Boost Your Mood
Resistance training reduces symptoms of mild to moderate depression.
Resistance training regulates your blood flow and heart rate, which clears away brain fog and pumps you full of feel-good endorphins.
As you perform new feats of strength, your mental strength and confidence will also improve. A Harvard study found that 10weeks of consistent strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than counseling. That doesn't mean not to go to therapy, but when combined along with a healthy diet you are doing wonders for your brain and are more equipped to take on life.
2)You'll Prevent Injury and Promote Healing. Following a resistance-training program is associated with a lower incidence of stress fractures, falls and low-back injuries in people including those who are and are not physically active. For athletes Increasing your strength training volume and intensity are associated with a reduced risk in sports injury risks, strength training helps prevent this.
And if you do get hurt? You'll bounce back more quickly and efficiently if you've been sculpting muscles. Resistance training strengthens your tendons and ligaments, which can help you recover from injuries, like a sprained ankle or dislocated shoulder. It will also improve your balance and posture by strengthening the small stabilizers that keep you erect.
3)It Will Enhance Your Athletic Performance
Athletes with a strength-training practice significantly improve their speed and endurance. Increased muscle fiber size and contractile strength lead to greater physical capacity.
4)You May Reduce Your Risk of Disease
Moderate strength training (between 100 to 145 minutes per week) is associated with a lower all-cause mortality risk in older women.
In fact, older adults age 65 and over who followed recommended guidelines to strength train at least twice per week had 46 percent lower odds of all-cause mortality than those who didn't. But that's not all — research shows that women who focus on strengthening their muscles reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by 30 percent and cardiovascular disease by 17 percent compared with those who don't strength train! Even more so combining strength training with aerobic exercise is linked to an even lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early death than doing cardio alone. That alone seems reason enough to not give up!
5)You Might Sleep Better at Night
Building muscle may even improve shuteye, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, in which people fell asleep faster and had fewer nighttime awakenings on days when they engaged in resistance training.
6)It's Good For Your Bones, Ligaments & Tendons
If you dont strength train your muscles might atrophy — you will lose muscle mass and endurance because you're not using your muscles as much, your ligaments and tendons can also weaken. Skipping out on strength training is also bad for your bones. Weight training puts stress on your bones, which nudges bone-forming cells into action, If you don't do resistance exercises, your bones may get weaker and lose some mineral content. This is especially important for older adults — primarily those who are postmenopausal, as the decline in estrogen levels leads to bone loss, increasing your risk of fractures and osteoporosis. In fact, resistance exercise alone or in combination with other forms of physical activity is the ideal training for improving bone mass in people who are postmenopausal, middle-aged and older adults.
7)And finally, if weight loss is still your main goal, you won't torch nearly as many calories without resistance training. When you do a 30-minute cardio session, you are burning calories for that 30 minutes but a 30-minute weight-lifting session will have you burning calories for the rest of the day, an effect known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. That's because strength training, by causing microscopic stress to your muscles, triggers your body to enter a recovery state. That muscle recovery uses calories for energy.
Plus, the more lean muscle you have, the more you'll increase your basal metabolic rate, the number of calories you burn each day just to maintain normal biological function. Muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories at rest than body fat.
Aim to strength train at least twice per week. Write down your reasons of why you are doing this to help you stay motivated. I sometimes like to use a habit tracker so i can check off that i did it and the feeling of that accomplishment helps me stay motivated. Find what motivates you wether its a habit tracker, a workout buddy or hiring a personal trainer and remind yourself on those days you dont feel like doing it what your "whys" are. Experiment with different types of resistance-training equipment to help you figure out what will help you reach your goals, maybe enroll I a group strength training class. Whatever motivates you, just do it! Because the more you enjoy that activity, the higher the chances you'll stick to a routine.
Ultimately, you'll be better off if you quit resisting resistance training. And I'm here to help if you have questions on how to get started or need accountability, there's no shame in that, even I use a coach from time to time to keep me motivated!
