We have numerous sources that tell us about how different forms of exercise are good for health. Cardio is good for the heart, think of it as maintaining and improving the capabilities of the engine that powers your body. Gymnastics and other fluid and dynamic exercises develop the tendon paths and improve flexibility. And there are many more ways to gain long-term health benefits through exercise. Today, we bring some benefits to be gained in strength training/lifting weights.
Lifting weights is an exercise that provides resistance to muscles and causes micro tears in the muscular fibers, the body then heals these microtrauma and the repair causes the muscle to both heal and grow. The physical benefits of continued strength training will improve tendon and ligament strengths, helping your joints. The resistance, in moderation, provides stress to the bones and that helps with increasing bone density.
In addition to the physical improvements, lifting weights bring performance benefits of its own. Strength training s is famous or vaunted for increasing your resting metabolic rate or increasing the speed at which you burn fat when not exercising. This helps lose weight. The increased metabolic rate works to decrease your cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The movement and efforts help with bowel movements and reduce risks for colon cancer. Strength training puts the body to work, leading to the production of natural hormones that reduce stress, help with sleep, boost the immune system, and overall wakes the body up to take care of itself. In other words, this would contribute to improving mental health.
Strength training has been said to decrease pain in existing osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some studies suggest that lifting weights results in a lower incidence and lesser severity of lymphedema for those with breast cancer. Lifting weights did not cure it but improved the quality of life by making the symptoms more manageable to an extent while additionally improving individual strength.
Before you begin strength training, please consult with your primary care physician and, ideally, with a strength training coach to make sure you have the right form and routine to reduce risk of injury and maximize health benefits.
May Your Health Prosper,
Jonathan Pilli, MBA
1) Hennelly, E. (2022, September 8). Reasons Why Lifting Weights Is So Important for Your Health. eMediHealth.
2) https://www.emedihealth.com/wellness/fitness/weight-lifting-health-benefits
3) Schmitz, K. H., Ahmed, R. L., Troxel, A. B., Cheville, A. L., Smith, R. K., Lewis-Grant, L., Bryan, C. J., Williams-Smith, C. T., & Greene, Q. P. (2009). Weight Lifting in Women with Breast-Cancer–Related Lymphedema. The New England Journal of Medicine, 361(7), 664–673. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa0810118