In the past several years, research has shown that no matter what age you are; weight training has many youthful regenerating benefits. Resistance or Weight training can have several different physical and physiological effects on the body and on specific muscle types depending on how you set up your training program.
1. The more muscle mass an individual builds the higher their basal metabolic rate will be. The benefit here is that more calories are required to maintain muscle than fat. The greater the muscles mass the more the fat burning effect. It should be understood that weight training promotes an increase in lean muscle tissue. This increase replaces the fat deposit within the muscle before a noticeable difference in the reduction of external fat is noticed.
This is a very misunderstood concept and requires understanding as to avoid getting discouraged when results appear to be slow. When an individual acquires excess fat it begins in the muscle until the muscle tissue can no longer hold any more fat at which point it then begins to be deposited outwardly. The reduction in body fat takes the last on - last off approach so consistency and patience are important. After all, let’s face it, we just didn’t wake up one morning and we were suddenly overweight. It took some time to get out of shape so it will take some time to get back into shape.
2. Helps prevent injuries from occurring and increases bone density. A strong, muscular system protects us from impact injuries, like those caused by running/jumping activities. Stronger muscles lead to stronger bones and connective tissue, helping us reduce the risk of osteoporosis and degeneration caused by aging.
3. Resistance training also provides cardiovascular benefits. The exertion and stress associated with weight training increases and strengthens the heart. The heart is a muscle and gets stronger as the amount of weight lifted and volume of exercise increases. This allows the heart to increase the volume of blood it pumps at a lower beat per minute. I think you get the picture here. If the heart beats stronger and slower then the benefit results in better circulation, faster recovery and additional years being added to your life. Studies have shown that individuals that regularly trains with weights have lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those whom don’t weight train. Weight training also increases the efficiency and strength of the lungs. This strengthening allows for a higher volume of air to be taken in with every breath through increased volume capacity and deeper inhalation. This increases the available oxygen for all bodily functions and in the blood. The importance of theses effects help to better remove harmful toxins and metabolic byproducts from the system that benefits our immune system makes us more resilient to viruses and diseases.
4. Weight training also benefits us from an emotional state as well. It is a great outlet for reducing stress. As fast paced as our lives have become we have also increased the pressure on ourselves to keep up. Taking time out to train will provide a venue to relieve and release the stess of the day. This provides a calming effect on the system and can almost immediately result in improvements in attitude, increased tolerance and our ability to better cope with the hurdles of the daily rat race we call life. Who could not benefit from an improved mental state and a less stressful existence?
5. These benefits also combine to result in more energy. The combination of the above mentioned benefits increase the efficiency of all our bodily functions and provide an increased utilization of foods aided by enhanced digestion. The more efficiently your body processes and utilizes the nutrients it consumes the more energy are produced. This coupled with the increases in strength make almost every day to day task easier to perform because less exertion is required and more energy is readily available. Can you begin to see how this cycle feeds itself? The more strength and energy you have, the better your physical conditioning, cardiovascular and other systems work. The less tired you get, the easier it is to deal with daily stress due to a more positive mental outlook. Increased energy and an improved mental outlook make you feel better and the harder you will workout and the better you will sleep.
6. Last but not least, let’s not forget that all these improvements lead to a stronger, more toned physique. Weight training lowers body fat and shows you the results of your hard work by rewarding you with a more sculpted body you can be proud of when you look in the mirror or go to the beach. Don’t forget that these benefits can be more far reaching than you might think. When others see the changes not only in your physical appearance but also in your self-confidence you just might become an inspiration that provides a positive impact that changes someone else’s life for the better.