Other than aerobic exercises, weight training when done properly is safe and effective for building lean muscle mass, bone density, and fitness improvement in men and women of all ages.
Weight training involves any activity that puts a load on your muscles, which stimulates them to become stronger. It might involve just your body weight, a set of dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells. If your only goal is to get fit, weight training can be a huge complement to your workout. Weight training also helps reduce body fat and burn calories more efficiently.
From weight loss to better heart health, and so much more, here are 5 health benefits of weight training you should know about.
Weight training burns more calories.
When you lift weights on a regular basis, you increase your metabolic rate. And when you increase your metabolic rate, you burn more calories. It is a surefire way to increase your lean muscle mass, which in turn, helps your body burn off more of the fuel you consume from food every day rather than store it as excess energy in the form of fat cells.
Weight training improves heart health.
Incorporating weight lifting to your training routine can reduce the risk of developing a combination of symptoms such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and elevated blood sugar that raise the risk of heart disease. As weight training increases lean muscle mass, it gives your cardiovascular system places to send the blood being pumped. This results in less pressure on your arteries, which helps reduce the chances of heart-related problems.
Weight training develops stronger bones.
Our ability to build bone diminishes with age. Weight training comes into play in terms of preserving bone mineral density and preventing osteoporosis. Whether it’s a set of “free” weights, your own body weight, or weight machines, stress a sequence of muscles and bones helps stimulate bone growth.
Weight training strengthens muscles.
Muscle size increases when you continually challenge the muscles to deal with higher levels of resistance or weight. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy. Weightlifting is effective to keep the muscle you already have. All you need is a gym with a squat rack, bench, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and a spot to do pull-ups, chin-ups, and dips.
Weight training reduces injury risk.
Weight training is not only building ripped biceps and triceps. It also develops the tendons, ligaments, and joints. When you build strong ligaments and joints, you’re far more likely to avoid injury. Proper weight exercises help prevent a host of injuries. Increased strength and improved flexibility are the best ways to avoid bone and orthopaedic injury.
