Strength Training: While all forms of exercise can contribute to one's health, strength training undoubtedly offers a multiplicity of amazing benefits. From boosted flexibility and power to improved bone health and control of body fat, strength training (like lunges, squats, push-ups, and arm curls) will make you appear and feel your utter best. Benefits Of Strength Training My favorite workouts for strength are dead lifts or something explosive, such as power cleans,” says BODi fitness expert Amanda Luna. "I also appreciate adding any exercise that challenges balance, even if it means the use of unstable tools like a stability ball or the execution of single-armed or single-legged exercises," she says.
How to Incorporate Strength Training into Your Workout Routine
1. Improves body composition
Strength training simultaneously increases lean muscle mass and decreases body waste. A recent study demonstrated that individuals who consistently participate in resistance training on at least two days per week are 30% less likely to accumulate excess body fat over time. The risk of chronic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain malignancies, is substantially increased by elevated levels of body fat. Conversely, lean mass is recognized as a critical factor in reducing the risk of these chronic conditions.
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2. assists in the regulation of blood glucose levels
Improved blood sugar control (as evidenced by lower HbA1c levels) and a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes are linked to increased muscle mass. Glucose is the primary source of energy for muscles—the more muscles are required to function, the more glucose the body will draw from the bloodstream and send to the muscle cells for fuel. This reduces blood sugar levels for the duration of the workout. Benefits Of Strength Training But muscle mass is also more metabolically active than fat cells at rest and can uptake more glucose in response to insulin, even when you're not actively exercising. When blood glucose levels are elevated, the pancreas releases insulin, a hormone. And muscle mass is directly associated with insulin sensitivity, the efficiency at which cells and muscles assimilate glucose from the circulation. [10] Insulin sensitivity is essential for attaining and maintaining optimal blood sugar control.
3. Reduces levels of chronic inflammation
The presence of internal inflammation for protracted periods can accelerate the aging process and is associated with conditions such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The blood biomarker hsCRP can measure inflammation. Studies demonstrate that those who participate in resistance training consistently have significantly lower levels of HsCRP compared to those who do not. When muscle cells are strong and are routinely engaged, they release compounds that help to control and regulate the body's long-term inflammatory response. It’s important to note that exercises like strength training can contribute to acute, or short-term, inflammation that is then resolved with appropriate rest and recovery. Read more about that relationship here.
4. Increases strength, stamina, and endurance
To build up a muscle's strength, power, and endurance, the muscle must first be damaged. The most effective method to achieve this is through strength training. Strength training creates microscopic fractures in muscle fibers and breaks down muscle cells. When the body repairs the damage, the muscles grow back stronger. Benefits Of Strength Training Repeatedly exercising the muscle in this capacity—coupled with rest periods and ample intake of dietary carbohydrates and protein—results in functional and structural adaptations that produce increases in strength, power, and endurance.
5. Increases flexibility.
Maximizing advances in strength, power, and endurance requires a certain level of flexibility. Surprisingly enough, resistance training can be as effective as stretching for increasing flexibility and range of motion. One potential explanation? Muscle atrophy can actually result in reduced flexibility and range of motion. According to a recent study, resistance training appears to help thicken the gray matter in a part of the brain that is often affected in early Alzheimer’s disease, and it also appears to help create brain cells,” says Thurman. If you know dementia and Alzheimer’s run in your family, strength training may be especially beneficial for you.
6. Sharpens mental function
Strength training improves brain health by promoting the growth of new brain cells, boosting oxygen supply to the brain, maintaining synaptic plasticity, which is crucial for memory, and saving old brain cells from inflammation-induced injury. At least two weight training sessions per week may greatly boost basic mental ability, mental clarity, and working memory—particularly in senior people. As memory declines with age, those who add physical activity three times a week for at least 45–60 minutes show even greater improvements in indices related to brain function.
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7. Maintains bone and muscle health
With age, bone and muscle mass naturally decline, but engaging in strength straining can help reduce the risk of falls, hospitalization or early mortality from falls, and fractures. In addition, robust bone and muscle mass preserve a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities with ease. Benefits Of Strength Training Just as strength training stimulates muscle growth by first breaking down the muscle and sending a signal to the body to reconstruct it, weight-bearing exercises put stress on bones. That tension stimulates the production of new bone cells, strengthening existing bone mass and density.
8. Promotes cardiac health
Pairing active activities that get the heart and lungs moving with muscle-building activities promotes ideal heart function. Adding as few as one 60-minute workout session has been shown to greatly lower the risk of heart attacks, improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lessen BMI, and increase life. While strength training benefits both men and women, "as women get older and reach periods, their levels of hormones drop, and because of this, their risk of bone loss is much higher." Strength training during their lifetimes can increase tooth health and make women’s flesh strong,” says Lopez.
FAQs: Benefits Of Strength Training
Is it good to do strength training every day?
It's not necessary to lift weights every day, and if you do, you boost your risk for overuse injuries and overtraining syndrome. For most people, strength training two to three times a week is enough, but if you chose to split training various muscle groups, then you can train up to five days a week.
What are the five benefits of strength training exercises?
Use it or lose it
- Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Manage your weight.
- Enhance your quality of life.
- Manage chronic conditions.
- Sharpen your thinking skills.
What are the benefits of strength based training?
One review of 32 studies showed strength training greatly enhanced scores in pain and physical functioning ( 68 ). Strength training provides many benefits, such as a lower risk of chronic disease, improved self-esteem, and a reduced risk of injury and accidents.