Benefits Of Strength Training

1. Adds More Muscles And Burning More Calories

Muscles not only strengthen the body but also increase the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). The physical act of lifting weights does burns calories at the very time of performance, but also it increases the calorie burn at rest. Body burns more calories at rest to maintain the muscles tissue cells than to maintain the fat cells.

2. Builds Stronger Bones

Bones are actually living tissues that get stronger with weighted exercises. Regular strength training helps in improving the bone density, hence reducing the risk of osteoporosis. This is especially true for women, who tend to lose a lot of calcium and bone density in many different phases of life like the monthly menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. By a certain age, the calcium absorption power decreases, bones lose their calcium deposits, and this leads to osteoporosis, hence weak bones.

3. Helps Heart

Studies have shown that strength training reduces heart problems in the people suffering from them, and it also helps to keep such problems at bay. Several studies also show that strength training lowers the HDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increases the LDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Research conducted in the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University has shown that resistance training can lower blood pressure by as much as 20%. These results are due to increased blood flow to muscles, heart, and body.

4. Reduces Risk Of Diabetes

Researches have shown that strength training improves and alters the way body processes sugar. They prove that it helps the insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control. As stated above, strength training helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure which also play a role in diabetes management.

5. Lose More Weight And Look Slimmer

Other than burning calories and boosting the metabolism, strength training also helps is losing fat from the body. A study at Penn State University found that, on average, people who lift weights lose six more pounds of fat than those who don’t. It all comes down to the baseline of building muscles. When just dieting, body burns fat as well as muscles (which is not good). While cutting calories and exercising, body burn burns fat to fuel itself, maintaining the muscle mass. That means the body is burning fat, and keeping the muscles. This makes the body slimmer and defined.

6. Enhances Physical And Mental Well–Being

Strength training makes the body strong. It has more energy to perform day to day activities. It improves flexibility and balance. Researchers have proved that it reduces the stress hormone, cortisol. It decreases tension and anxiety, and helps to alleviate depression. It also boosts brain health. According to an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, older women who did an hour or two of weight lifting each week improved their cognitive function, and better planned and executed a variety of tasks.

Women should not be afraid to pump up the iron. We can never bulk up our muscles. We don’t have that hormonal configuration. It requires high testosterone level like men to bulk up, which are just not present in a female body. And it takes lots of hard work, a lot of weight training and supplements to look like body builders. Instead of becoming huge, females will reshape their body, build lean muscles and burn calories faster than someone who sticks to just cardio exercise.