Have you been shying away from
strength training? Do you think you are too old to start a strength training
program? Reverse that thought because strength training is what your body needs
to combat the loss of strength, muscle and bone mass that comes as you age.
No matter how young or old you
are, you should engage in regular strength training exercise. This you can do
in the gym or at home making use of little equipment. Hand weights, dumbbells,
resistance band and even your own body weight can be used as resistance during
strength training program.
Here are some ways strength
training can make a difference in and add more quality to your life.
Helps Increase Calories Burn
Strength training increases
the metabolic rate of the body, causing it to burn more calories throughout the
day. This aids weight loss significantly.
Improves Your Balance And
Stability
This decreases your risk of
fall accidents because the more resilient and stronger your muscles are the
sturdier your balance.
Increases Your Ability To
Carry Out Your Day To Day Activities
The stronger your muscles, the
easier for you to carry heavy loads, move things around and many more.
It Helps To Build Muscle
Strength
From research, adults lose
between five to seven pounds of muscles every decade after age 20. This you can
prevent by strength training. You can also rebuild lost muscles by engaging in
strength training.
It Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis
Studies have shown that
consistent strength training can increase bone density as well as prevent
osteoporosis, which is a disease that affects inactive and aging people as
there bone density reduces causing brittleness.
Strength training can help you
feel younger each day. Start with one set of each exercise of about 10 to 15
repetitions and increase to 2 and then 3 sets as you improve. Taking it slow
and steady, have about 30 second to one minute rest in between each exercise.
Always warm up and stretch
before embarking on the main exercise. You also stretch after each exercise. Use
weights that are heavy enough for you to feel the muscle working and the difficulty
increases as you get to the last repetition. The weight should equally be light
enough for you to do the last repetition without pain or breaking proper form. Stop
whenever you experience pain.
Your age, work or schedule
must not stand between you and strength training because of the benefits you
derive from it. Always remember to consult your doctor before engaging in any
form of exercise program.