In addition to the widely-publicized (and often Instagrammed) advantages of adding definition and tone for your muscle mass, what do strengthening training aid you? Here are some of the numerous methods:
1. Strength Training Builds Strength and more fit
This is an obvious one, but it should not be undervalued. “Muscle strength is essential in making it easier to complete what you need to complete on a regular routine,” Pire says -especially as we grow older and naturally lose muscles.
The term “strength training” is often used in conjunction with resistance training since it is a means of building and strengthening the muscles of your body by contracting in response to an opposing force. As per the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, there are two kinds that can be used to train resistance:
Isometric resistance is the process of contracting your muscles against an unmoving object, like the floor during the form of a pushup.
Isotonic strength training is the process of the muscles to contract through an array of motions, like weight lifting.
2. Strength Training helps protect bone Health as well as Muscle Mass
When we reach the age of 30 we lose up to 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass every decade due to aging. Harvard Health Publishing.
In a study released at the end of October in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research only 30 minutes twice per week of intense resistance and impact exercise was proven to increase functional performance and the density of bone, its structure as well as strength for postmenopausal females with small bone mass and there were no negative consequences.
Similar to that, HHS Physical activity recommendations mention that for all people exercising to strengthen your muscles can aid in maintaining or increasing strength, muscle mass and endurance that are vital to joint, bone and the health of muscles as we age.
3. Strength Training helps your body Burn Fats More Effectively
Every exercise boosts your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns off calories during the course of your day).
When you combine aerobic exercise and strengthening exercises Your body will continue to burn calories following strength training, as it gets back to a more relaxed state (in terms of the energy expended). It’s an exercise known as “excess the post exercise oxygen use” according to the American Council on Exercise.
When you engage in exercises that require strength, weight or exercises that require resistance, the body requires more energy, based on the amount of energy you’re putting into it (meaning the harder you work and the harder you work, the more energy will be needed). Therefore, you can enhance this impact based on the amount of effort you invest in your exercise. This means you’ll burn more calories during your exercise as well as additional calories burned off after the workout, , when your body is returning from a sleep state.
4. Strength Training helps keep the weight off for good
Since strength training increases after-exercise oxygen intake, it could aid in weight loss faster than the case if you simply exercise aerobically, Pire says. “[Resistance or strengthening exerciseshelps to keep your metabolism in motion after exercise, for a longer time than after an aerobic exercise.”
This is because lean tissue generally is more active. “If you have greater muscles then you’ll consume more calories, even while sleeping, as opposed to if you did not possess that extra body mass” He adds.
A study that was published by the Journal of Obesity during November of 2017 showed that, when compared to those who did not exercise or those who exercised only with aerobic exercise, those who performed strength-training exercises 4 times per for 18 months, lost their fat the fastest (about 18 , in comparison to 10 pounds for non-exercisers while aerobic fitness exercisers lost 16 pounds).
You might even be able to reduce your body fat if resistance training is coupled with diet and calorie reduction. Participants who incorporated whole-body resistance training regimen and diet for a period of 4 months reduced their fat mass and increased the mass of lean muscles more than diet or resistance training alone according to a small study that was published in January 2018 by The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.
5. Strength Training can help you build A Better Body Mechanics
Training for strength can improve your coordination, balance, and posture, based on previous research.
One study, released in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research in November of 2017, found that at least one resistance-training session each week — either by itself or as part of a plan that includes a variety of exercises — resulted in as much as a 37 percent improvement in strength and the result was a 7.5 percentage increase in the muscle’s mass and a 58 percent improvement in the functional ability (linked to the risk of falling) for frail, old adults.
“Balance relies on strength in the muscles keeping you upright,” Pire notes. “The stronger the muscles and the more stable your balance.”
6. Strength Training can help with Chronic Disease Management
Research has proven that strengthening exercises can aid in easing symptoms for patients suffering from various chronic diseases that include neuromuscular disorders, HIV, chronic obstructive lung disease, and certain cancers, in addition to.
For the 30 million Americans who suffer from type 2 diabetes training in conjunction with other lifestyle modifications can aid in improving the control of glucose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a study released on June 17, 2017 by Diabetes Therapy.
A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that regular exercise in the form of resistance training could aid in preventing chronic mobility issues and heart disease, as well as Type 2 Diabetes, as well as cancer.
7. Strength Training can boost your energy levels and improves your mood
Training in strength has been proven to be an effective treatment option (or as an adjunct treatment) to treat depression-related symptoms as per an analysis from 33 trials that was published in JAMA Psychiatry in June 2018.
“All exercises boost moods because it raises the levels of endorphins” Pire says. For strength training, however studies that look at the neuromuscular and neurochemical responses to these workouts provides further evidence of its positive impact on the brain, he says.
There’s evidence that strength training can improve your sleep as well, according to research that was published within the issue of January-February 2019, in Brazilian Journal of Psychology.
We all know that getting a better night’s sleep could be a big help to keep your mood high.
8. Strength Training Has Cardiovascular Health Benefits
In addition to the aerobic workout, muscle-building exercises can improve blood pressure, and lower the risk of heart disease, as per HHS.