Strength training is no longer just for men or bodybuilders that just want to get stronger and bigger. Women also benefit from strength training.

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Strength training is the type of exercise which will typically have the greatest effect on your long-term metabolic rate, therefore is the one you should really focus on if you hope to control your body weight months down the road.

 

Here are the top 10 health benefits of strength training:

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• Strength: Increases the connective tissue, muscles and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance.

• Better performance: With the right strength training also improves your ability to perform activities of daily living.  Having better physical work capacity, you will be able to work harder and longer.

• Leaner body mass: Strength training promotes fat-free body mass while decreasing sarcopenia, that is when the lean muscle mass that we all work so hard for decreases with age. If we don’t add strength training to our routine, it will turn into fat. Having more muscle than fat will also tone your body and give you the curves you always wanted.

• Fewer injuries: Correct strength training is a low impact activity, so you are at lower risk for injuries. It is less stressful on your knees and joints than running.

• Bone density: This is one of the best ways to control loss of bone mass. Just as your muscles adapt to the stress of strength training by becoming stronger, your bones also adapt. When your bones perceive or receive stress on them, their response is to deposit more bone.

• Boosts metabolism: As your body increases its muscle mass, it will work harder to maintain that muscle over fat. This means that you will burn more calories throughout the day. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

• Better posture and balance: Strength training may help strengthen the muscles of your core, those that support your spine, and other little muscles apart from the main muscle groups. They lessen the discomfort or back pain and undo some of the damage caused by sitting all day. Also those muscles help keep you upright and take care of everyday tasks such as balancing on one foot when walking or stopping yourself from falling.

• Discipline: Waking up earlier every day in the mornings just so you can go to the gym and do your workouts before going to work says a lot about your discipline. Acquiring perseverance will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

• Reduce risks for diseases: Strength helps regulate blood sugar, thus lowering risks for diabetes. Since you are losing fat, it greatly reduces your chances for obesity. Also when you train for strength you are at constant movement, so your blood flows rapidly and heart rate goes up, helping you maintain a healthy heart. Therefore you are also at lower risks for cardiovascular diseases.

• Better quality of life: Research shows that not only can strength training improve your body composition and give you a toned appearance, but it can also improve your overall health and make you a happier person. Giving you confidence in yourself, it will put you in a better mood or even help you fight depression.