Strength training allows for daily activity to be obtained more effortlessly, thus improving overall health and mental state. It boosts your level of endorphins, thus making you feel great. It also aids in helping you sleep better and is a great antidepressant. Overall, the stronger your muscles the easier to grab a bag of groceries out of the car, push a vacuum cleaner or even reach to grab item off the top of cabinets. The little things in life we take for granted!
Strength training ensures that tendons and muscles in the body are strong, preventing injury in daily activity or playing sports. The stronger and more resilient your muscles, the better your balance will be. Many research studies have shown that adults lose between five and seven pounds of muscle every decade after age 20. Strength training will help prevent this muscle loss, and rebuild what you may have lost.
Strength training provides women with a firm and toned physique. This can be achieved through resistance training. Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, exercise bands, your own body weight, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract.
Build muscle = Effect on metabolism
Strength training increases the body’s metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day and can boost your metabolism by 15 percent. This aids significantly in long-term weight loss. If you replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle, you’ll burn an additional 25 to 50 calories a day without even trying.
Strength training can be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure by strengthening the heart, allowing it to beat more efficiently. The American Heart Association recommends resistance training for decreased risk of cardiovascular events and as part of rehabilitation in those who have previous heart conditions.
Although cardio burns more calories, strength training helps get a leaner and healthier body. To ensure that you achieve your ultimate fitness, make sure to consult a doctor if necessary, then begin a strength/resistance training program that meets your needs, eat healthy and balanced meals that will enhance and support your fitness goals and take advantage of using fat-burning supplements, such as paradoxine.
What to remember when starting your new strength training regimen: Warm-up, start slowly, control your breathing, use correct posture and follow the recommended muscle sequence (work on the larger muscle group, followed by small and then isolated ones). You don’t need expensive gym memberships to start strength training. Push-ups, jump squats, lunges, and mountain climbing are all examples of exercises that provide strength training.
Note: If you currently have any health issues, please consult a doctor first to find out what kind of strength/resistance program will be right for you!
Lauri Parson is the owner of Sport Possible, which specializes in sport-specific training for athletes of all ages. For more information, she can be reached at 443-204-7783.
