At LIV Fitness in Livermore, CA, we include all types of fitness training in our clients’ programs. Strength training is an important part of fitness and has many health benefits. You can combine it with other types of fitness training to get more from the workout in a shorter time. Some people question whether weightlifting is appropriate for women, seniors, or those with physical limitations or even if it’s healthy. The good news is that almost every adult can lift weights. The amount of weight lifted may be far less and modifications may be necessary, but the benefits are worth it.
Keep obesity at bay by lifting weights.
Obesity is now the leading cause of preventable deaths. If you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. A healthy diet will help limit calories consumed and weightlifting is an efficient way to burn calories. Unlike running, which burns calories from both fat and muscle tissue, weightlifting increases muscle tissue as it burns fat. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does. The more you have, the higher your metabolism, making it easier to shed extra pounds.
Strength training is more important for seniors than the younger population.
After 30, most people start losing muscle mass due to lower hormone levels. That natural occurrence can be prevented or reversed by doing strength- training. Lifting weights builds stronger muscles, which is particularly important the older you get. For seniors, strong muscles can make the difference between living independently and requiring assistance. Stronger muscles can help prevent falls and the injuries they cause. It can also help relieve the pain of arthritis, back pain, and joint issues.
Including weightlifting in your workout helps maintain bone strength.
Seniors to do strength-building exercises, especially if they’re women. Senior women tend to suffer from bone thinning—osteoporosis—more than men, and strength-building can help prevent osteoporosis. It can even reverse it. Your bones uptake calcium to increase their strength and offset the tug of muscles. If no muscles tug on the bones, they lose calcium, and you have bone thinning. Studies show that strength-building workouts can be as effective as some medications for osteoporosis.
- Although it might seem counterproductive to do weight training for joints and arthritis pain, the increased strength helps lift pressure off the joints, ease pain, and reduce swelling and stiffness.
- Lifting weights can improve the strength of core muscles. Core strength can help improve posture, which affects many areas of health, such as breathing and digestion. Good posture can prevent acid reflux.
- Weight training can help reset hormones that affect all areas of the body. It can burn off cortisol and help prevent insulin resistance, which is a precursor for diabetes. Weight training can help prevent PMS and menstrual cramps and relieve symptoms of menopause.
- Working out with weights lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, and helps maintain blood sugar levels. It helps reduce visceral fat—belly fat—that negatively affects internal organs.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness