When most people think about strength training, they also think about growing bigger muscles and gaining a bulkier appearance. But you may want to know that strength and weight training gives you much more than just accumulating a bigger muscular mass. After all, you don’t have to train like a bodybuilder if you don’t want to end up having a bulkier body.
However, you should seriously consider strength and weight training because of its numerous health benefits. So, next time to avoid strength training equipment at the gym, think twice, as you may be missing all of these incredible benefits for your health.
1. You’ll get stronger bones and more resilient muscles
As we age, we need to bear in mind that both of our bone system and muscular system are going to get weaker. Believe it or not, after the age of 30, we begin losing about 3 to 5% of muscle mass every day, all due to aging processes. So, having this fact into consideration, it is easy to see that strength and weight training using affordable barbells with weights will help you hold onto your muscles by training and enhancing them. Because this type of training leads to the development of lean muscles, you will be able to stop this loss process and enjoy stronger and fitter muscles for much longer.
According to studies, just half an hour of impact training and high-intensity resistance workouts done twice a week are enough to strengthen your muscles and improve the density of your bones. The study regarded women that suffered a bone mass loss due to menopause, this training helped them improve the condition of their bones without inflicting any negative impacts on their bodies. So, if they benefited from such results, you will as well.
2. You’ll get rid of excess weight and avoid getting it back for good
Losing weight is no easy task. You will have to work hard to burn all those calories and shape your body into a fitter form. A piece of information that will help you become more effective when working out is that muscles consume a much higher number of calories than anything else. Thus, strength and weight training will help you gain more muscle mass, which, in turn, will burn more calories to function on a daily basis.
Also, if you want to shorten the period in which you lose excess weight, strength and weight training will do this for you. Because we are talking about training sessions that are more intense than your regular cardio routine, you’ll shed those extra pounds in no time. Scientists say that strength training also has the ability to activate your resting metabolism. What does this mean? It means that you will burn calories even when you’re not hitting the gym. Practically, you will be more effective in burning calories even when you’re unrolling the day as you normally do.
If you pair this training with an adequate diet and proper water intake, you’ll be in the desired shape very fast. This is the fastest way to lose weight, compared to fitness or aerobic training sessions, so it is definitely worthy of your consideration.
3. Your body will be fitter on an everyday basis
When you think about strength and weight training, the first thing that pops into your head should be the fact that you will become stronger for your daily tasks. In other words, you won’t get tired that quickly and you will be more capable to do things that appeared harder or more complicated in the past. Again, you don’t have to look like a bodybuilder if you don’t want to. However, training your muscles and developing more lean muscle mass will lead to a better-shaped and fitter body in time. So, you will look good, feel good, and be more prepared to handle your everyday tasks, regardless of their nature.
As we advance in age, our muscles become looser and looser, which explains why people start losing their physical strength and resistance as they become older. With the help of strength training, you can tone and strengthen your muscles and prevent premature aging and loss of strength due to age. In other words, even if years pass by, you will still be able to perform a wider variety of physical tasks and live an active life.
4. It will improve your body’s overall functioning
When you have stronger muscles, you will also enjoy better balance, body posture, and coordination. Due to the fact that your muscles are well-developed, it will be easier for them to support your weight when you walk, run, or perform other types of movement. It was shown that in the case of older people who risk falling and getting injured, due to bad balance or posture, strength and weight training can significantly reduce the risk of falling. In comparison to those that did not perform any kind of exercise, those that chose weight training reduced their risk for falling by 40%.
The state of balance relies very much on the condition of muscles. So, if the muscles are weak, the balance will be poor and the risk of injuries will be higher. If you want to prevent this from happening, it is worth investing time and effort in training your muscles right.
5. It has the power to boost your mood and energy levels
In spite of the fact that strength and weight training appear to be like a cumbersome task, you will feel much better after each training session. This is due to the fact that during training your body will release more endorphins, which are hormones responsible for your “feeling good” sensation. In other words, your mood and state of mind will improve considerably after each training.
Besides this, it is proven that physical training will also help you rest better at night. Thus, you will feel full of energy in the morning and ready to tackle any challenge that may come your way. If you haven’t tried strength and weight training just yet, it’s not too late to start and reap all the benefits this training can give you.
