Scared of strength training? Before you shy away from lifting weights for good, check out these methods that can do for your health.
Scared of strength training? Before you shy away from lifting weights for good, check out these methods that can do for your health.
Helps build stronger bones
Lifting weights can help build better bone as well as muscle. After menopause, women lose 1 to 2 percent of their bone mass each year. Resistance training has another benefit for women’s health: It can reduce their risk for fractures, which is a concern in post-menopausal women.
Charges your metabolism
Resistance training can increase the rate at which you burn calories for fuel by at least 15 percent. Infact, increasing your body’s muscle mass is the only true way to boost your metabolism and burning calories is key to losing and maintaining a healthy weight.
Boosts brain power
As you age, lifting weights can maintain more than muscle mass: It also helps your brain.
Good for heart health
When it comes to heart health, cardio workouts get all the attention but resistance training matters, too. Cardiovascular benefits of resistance training last longer too.
Relieves stress
If you need more benefits of strength training before adding it to your fitness routine, here’s one that’s good for body and soul: Weight lifting can be a stress reliever. Lifting weights helps reduce stress because it gives you an outlet. Resistance training also helps your body maintain healthy levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Helps stave off chronic disease
Another of the many benefits of strength training is that it can improve or sometimes reverse symptoms of chronic diseases. Resistance training is an effective countermeasure for pain, inflammation, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
