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The
Benefits of Weight Training
We are told all of the time that we must
exercise more, eat less and take our vitamins to maintain
or improve our health. What sort of diet to follow and which supplements to
take are
controversial topics. Exercise is an accepted part of the equation, but what
kind of exercise is
often debated. The benefits of aerobic exercise on the cardiovascular system
and calorie
burning have been well documented and often quoted. The benefits of weight
training on the body has been equally as well documented, but unfortunately much less
quoted.
Weight training is a form of exercise that early on was reserved for
athletes and
bodybuilders to build strength. The general public didn't make a wholesale buy
into the idea of weight training for improved physical health until the
1980s. At this time
people began to flock to fitness centers and gyms to attain the newly
desired muscular physique.
More heavily muscled movie and television stars began to shift the societal
trend toward muscle acceptance. With this new shift in the nation's focus studies began
to pop up on the
benefits of weight training. Many effects of weight training beyond just
improving the physique were found, in addition to finding that weight
training is more effective in improving physical health.
Longer lasting fat loss is one of the important benefits that many people overlook.
The growth of lean
muscle tissue increases the rate of calorie burn during rest and during
activity. Muscles require
more calories to maintain and function than the fat can store. The fat loss benefit
of adding just three
pounds of muscle is impressive because those three pounds of muscle can lead to a
loss of 31.4
pounds of body fat over a the span of a year, and because this loss comes at
your current
caloric intake it will be a permanent loss. The added muscle will also add
shape to the body
and many people find that they achieve their desired look much quicker with
weight training
combined with a sensible diet, than aerobic exercise. Because unlike aerobic
exercise weight training works even when you're not exercising.
Improved metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as well as many
essential vitamins
and minerals, is another one of the great benefits of weight training. The body's need for
energy to repair
components forces the body to metabolize nutrients more efficiently and makes better
use of the food we
eat. This also leads to better health along the entire gastrointestinal
tract.
The added strength from weight training makes day to day activities easier
as well.
This leads to more
energy because the muscles do not have to work as hard to move the body
around. More
productivity in your daily tasks is another carry-over benefit. The extra
strength can be used to
try new activities or do things you haven't done for a while or maybe never
done.
Another benefit of weight training, but perhaps lesser known is increased
flexibility. If exercises are done through a
full range of motion flexibility is bound to improve. The stretch phase of
the exercise is done
against resistance which often gently forces the muscle to stretch a little
farther. A healthier
muscle stretches better.
Weight training has also been shown to increase bone density
because the added stress on
the bones and
joints leads to more calcium shuffled to bone growth, increasing density.
This helps to decrease
the chances of fractures and staves off osteoporosis and other
bone density diseases.
This increase in bone health also helps with the production of immune system
infection fighters,
since they are produced in the marrow of the bones.
All of these benefits lead to a healthier appearance and a younger feel.
Along with the physical
benefits, the additional release of hormones leads to a healthier endocrine
system. The body's
internal functions will have to regulate the additional needs of the newly
built muscles and this leads to a better functioning organ and nervous system. |
