Five Reasons to Start Strength Training Today

Strength training can actually help you lead a much healthier life.

For many people the term “weightlifting” insights visions of Arnold Schwarzenegger pumping iron with his sweaty, oily tan arms. C’mon people it is 2015!! Strength training is a way that will help you secretly burn calories even after you have finished your workout. It can come in so many forms as well—going to a studio and starting crossfit or bootcamp, sneaking a workout in at home or in the office with bodyweight exercises (plank, squats, burpees), working with a personal trainer, especially if you are a newbie, or hopping in the pool and do resistance exercises (here’s a cool one ).

1. Increase quickness and agility. Increasing your muscle strength will lead to more power and endurance. Want to get the edge on the football or field hockey field, want to ski moguls with ease, want to drop time cycling up hills? Then add a sport specific strength and conditioning program. It can create lean muscles that have stronger, thicker fibers.
2. Increases metabolism. Adding strength training will increase your resting metabolic rate (ability to burn calories while lounging around). It would be a great addition to any weight-loss program.
3. Makes you HAPPY! Resistance training improves your ability to handle stress. It also allows you to get a better night’s rest as it helps you to fall asleep quicker and deeper. It can also help to sharpen your focus and improve your attention span.
4. Helps to prevent bone loss or osteoporosis. As an orthopaedic surgeon—this is KEY. As we age our bones get less dense going from strong like a tree trunk to soft and brittle like chalk. Bones in our body respond to stress and strength training acts as a type of stress to the bones. They then have to react over time and make themselves thicker and stronger. Bones are alive and constantly remodel based on the pressure they experience. The more weight training you do the stronger the bones overall.
5. Reduces back and leg injuries. The muscles around your joints act like the string around a sapling to help it grow into a straight and strong tree. Muscles help to soften the pressure that your joints feel. Many injuries can be traced back to muscle groups that were neglected. Improving muscle strength helps to align your shoulders, back, hips and knees to their proper position.

READ MORE: Fitness in Football Athletes: High Yield NFL Exercises

It is important to start slowly and increase weights in a controlled fashion. Working with a strength and conditioning coach to start will allow you to use the correct amount of weight and have proper form when doing the exercises. Now—with that knowledge—let your new program “PUMP YOU UP”!

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