When you think of getting fit, losing weight and living your happiest healthiest quality of life, great nutrition and exercise are all a part of the mix, and that includes weight training too!
If you’re not already on a consistent weight training routine, I know these 4 amazing health benefits weight training can give you will inspire you to get started right away:
Strength Training Enhances Bone Density For a Longer, Better Quality of Life:
Strong bones lead to a longer and better quality of life not only because it staves off osteoporosis but because it reduces your risk of falls and fractures that are potentially life altering as you age.
At 50 years of age, 4 in 10 women will experience a hip, spine or forearm fracture and are more likely to die from complications of fracture than from breast cancer.
It sounds morbid, but this isn’t a “done deal” . Bone is tissue that grows and repairs much like our skin, or our muscles.
While it was once believed that all bone stopped growing after 30 and you were living off of a slowly declining reserve, new and more in depth research shows that weight training not only staves off bone loss by placing more demand on your bones, but is continues to grow (or remodel) new bone too. (Just at a slower rate).
The Benefit: Weight training just 3 times or more per week is all it takes to reduce your risk of deadly fractures by as much as 50%, leading to stronger healthier quality of life.
A Slimmer Waist and Firmer Body with Less Effort:
When it comes to weight loss, I often get asked “Should I do Cardio or weight training for maximal weight loss?” . While ideally both should be added into your workout, let’s be honest, sometimes there just isn’t enough time to do it all.
While cardio is great at burning calories in the moment, it’s weight training that revs up your metabolism for the entire day. It can even keep your metabolism high for days after! Something your walk just can’t compete with.
Weight training won’t bulk you up, but it can increase and maintain muscle which is your main metabolic booster. The more muscle you work towards, the faster the calories burn.
In just 10 weeks of weight training, have the potential of revving up your metabolism by up to 7 percent. That’s a fat loss of up to 4 pounds! from lifting weights. Now that’s a bonus!
Live a Strong and independent life:
Wouldn’t it feel wonderful to open that jar of pickles without asking for help? Or reach the top of the stairs without feeling that tremble of weak legs?
While walking and running may be great for your heart (and definitely recommended for a long and healthy quality of life) these activities won’t help you get stronger or keep the level of strength you once had in your 30’s.
There are 3 types of muscles in our body. Slow twitch which gives us endurance so we can do tasks for long periods of time with the stamina and ever lasting energy we need to continue and activity like walking or running after the grandkids.
Then there’s Fast twitch muscle fibres that give us strength, so you don’t just run after the grandkids, but you lift them up no matter how big they get.
Or, may to lift up a heavy bag of dirt while gardening, lift a heavy box when moving or lift yourself from seated to standing without asking for help!
Fast twitch muscle fibres can further be divided into another type of muscle Fast twitch IIa which can act as an endurance muscle or a strength muscle. They go either way.
The point is walking and running will only exercise your endurance muscles, but weight training has the power to increase and maintain your strength by recruiting those strong, Fast Twitch muscles, so you have the power to do absolutely any activity independently.
It’s The Quickest and Easiest Fitness Option For Beginners:
If you’re beginning fitness after a long hiatus or you’ve never really worked out a day in your life, a beginner weight training routine can be the easiest way to start.
Many cardio plans may have you gasping for air, include crazy choreographed routines you have no desire to keep up with and make you dread the next time you’ll have to do it again.
If the point is to find a fitness activity you’ll fall in love with so you can sustain it for the rest of your life, it’s not going to happen by forcing yourself to do a workout you feel tortured to do.
Start with something quick and easy you can fit into your day, a workout you can breathe through and that teaches you that sometimes you become stronger during the break. Now that’s a sure fire way to get fit and stay fit permanently.
Weight training routines can be quick and to the point. Especially for the beginner.
Simply start with one exercise per muscle group and begin with one simple set. It can take as little as 10 minutes to get each of the benefits of increased bone density, the metabolic boost and the strong and independent life that weight training provides.
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve created a Weekly Quick-Fit Workout Series for FREE. Each Workout takes 10 minutes or less and it’s delivered right to your inbox. Give it a try!
