8 Benefits of Strength Training
Strength training has become an essential part of most exercise programs thanks to mounting evidence supporting its many benefits. It requires using one or more muscle groups to perform a specific task, such as lifting weights or squatting.
If you want to improve your fitness, strength training should be your first choice. Read on to learn about 8 benefits of strength training.
1. Effectively burn calories
Strength training helps improve your metabolism in two ways. Building muscle will greatly increase your metabolic rate. Muscle is metabolically more efficient than fat mass, so you can burn more calories at rest.
Moreover, scientists find that metabolic rate increases within 72 hours of strength training. That is to say, you're still burning extra calories after your workout.
2. Reduce belly fat
Many chronic diseases are linked with fat stored around the abdomen. Belly fat, especially visceral fat may increase the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and certain types of cancer.
Studies have found that strength training is helpful for reducing belly and body fat.
3. Help you look slimmer
The more muscle you build, the leaner you will appear. The reason is simple. Muscle is denser than fat, so it takes up less space on your body. So even if you don't see a change in the numbers on the scale, your waistline may have lost a few inches.
Additionally, more muscle definition will be demonstrated when you are losing body fat and building stronger and larger muscles. You will have a stronger and leaner appearance.
4. Make you stronger
You will get stronger by strength training. Gaining strength can make it easier for you to perform everyday tasks like carrying heavy groceries or running around with your kids.
Additionally, in sports that require speed, strength, and power, strength training boosts athletic performance, and can also support endurance by maintaining lean muscle mass.
5. Reduce the risk of falls
A study that included 23,407 adults over the age of 60 showed that people who participated in a comprehensive exercise program including balance exercises, resistance, and functional training experienced a 34 percent reduction in falls.
Strength training has been shown to be effective to reduce your risk of falling as you can better support your body. There are many forms of strength training you can choose, for example, tai chi, resistance bands, weight training, and body weight training.
6. Reduce the risk of injury
The risk of injury can be significantly reduced if you add strength training into your daily exercise.
Strength training helps build strength around your major joints like the knees, hips, and ankles for additional injury protection. It will improve muscle, ligament, and tendon strength, range of motion, and flexibility.
Most importantly, strength training works well to correct muscle imbalances. If you have a stronger core, hamstrings and glutes can reduce the load on the lower back during weightlifting. The risk of lower back injuries will decrease.
Not only adult but also the young are less likely to be injured if they often participate in strength training.
7. Manage your blood sugar levels
Greater muscle mass can help people with diabetes better manage blood sugar. Strength training can reduce your risk of diabetes as skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity. It also removes glucose from the blood and delivers it to muscle cells, so the blood sugar level is lowered.
8. Improve heart health
Regular strength training has proven effect of lowering blood pressure, reducing total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and improving circulation. High blood sugar levels are a major risk factor for heart disease. Strength training can strengthen the heart and blood vessels to maintain a healthy weight and control your blood sugar levels.