The Benefits Of Strength Training
If you want to improve your health, then strength training should be at the top of your list!
Strength training has been steadily growing in popularity due to its many proven benefits, and it has also become an important part of most workout programmes.
If you are interested in learning more about the many benefits of strength training, then keep reading our blog below!
What Is Strength Training?
Strength training, also known as resistance training, involves using your own body weight, or gym equipment such as dumbbells or resistance bands, to build muscle strength, mass, and endurance.
What Are The Benefits Of Strength Training?
Can Improve Strength
Strength training can help you improve strength, and by gaining and improving strength you will be able to perform daily tasks such as carrying heavy groceries or chasing a toddler around your house, a lot easier.
On top of this, strength training can help to improve your athletic performance in any sport that requires speed, power, and strength and can even support endurance athletes by preserving their lean muscle mass.
Can Help Burn Calories
Strength training can help to boost your metabolism. It does this by increasing your metabolic rate, and as muscles are more metabolically efficient than fat mass, it allows you to burn more calories when you are at rest.
Research has also shown that your metabolic rate is increased for up to 72 hours after a strength-training exercise, meaning that you are still burning more calories for hours, even days after your workout!
Can Reduce The Risk Of Falling
Strength training can reduce your risk of falls as you are better equipped to support your body. One study showed that adults over the age of 60 who participated in a well-rounded exercise programme that included balance, resistance, and functional training saw a 34% reduction in falls.
Thankfully, there are many different forms of strength training that have been proven effective, such as weight training, resistance bands, and bodyweight workouts.
Can Reduce Risk Of Injury
By including strength training in your workout routine, you can also reduce your risk of injury. This is because strength training helps to improve your range of motion, your strength, and the mobility of your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can then reinforce strength around your major joints such as your hips, knees, and ankles in order to provide additional protection against any potential injuries.
Can Improve Heart Health
Numerous studies have shown that continuous strength-training exercises can decrease blood pressure and lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol while also improving blood circulation by strengthening the heart and the blood vessels.
Additionally, strength training can help you maintain a healthy body weight and manage your blood sugar levels, as higher blood sugar levels are a very high-risk factor for heart disease.
Can Promote Better Mobility & Flexibility
Strength training has the ability to make you more flexible by increasing your joint range of motion which can allow for greater mobility and flexibility.
In one review that compared strength training with stretching, it was found that they were equally effective at increasing range of motion.
Can Strengthen Bones
Strength training is key for bone development as weight-bearing exercises can put temporary stress on your bones, which will then send a message to the bone-building cells to take action by building the bones stronger.
Having stronger bones is so incredibly important as it can greatly reduce your risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and falls as you age, and thankfully, you can reap the benefits of bone-strengthening at any age!
