One of the most common New Year’s resolutions people make is to lose weight. Although their intentions are good, it’s easy to quickly become lost and overwhelmed by the variety of workout options there are.
No matter what workout program you choose, you should include lifting weights. It might not sound like fun, but the benefits of lifting weights cannot be overstated.
If you’re on the fence about incorporating lifting weights or strength training into your workout routine, keep reading to see why you need to start pumping iron. Here are 10 reasons why you should pick up weights today.
1. Bone Strength
One of the most important reasons to start lifting weights is to increase bone strength. This is especially important for women because they’re more likely to develop osteoporosis, which is a weakening of the bones.
Lifting increases bone strength by informing your bone cells to bring more minerals to the bone so it can properly support your muscles and increase bone density.
2. Heart Health
Cardio is a great exercise to strengthen your heart, but so is lifting weights!
This is because fat accumulates around the arteries making your heart work harder than it needs to. Fat around the heart leads to all sorts of heart issues such as heart attacks. When you lift weights and rid of the fat around your heart, it improves heart health and prevents further issues.
3. Lose Fat, Build Muscle
Keeping with the theme of losing fat, another benefit of lifting weights is losing the fat all around your body. Building muscle isn’t just for strength, but to eliminate fat and reduce body mass index.
Muscle burns fat, so the more muscle you have the less fat sits in your body. This may not lead to much weight loss overall, but you may gain more muscle mass which is more desirable.
4. Improve Your Quality of Life
Besides losing weight, being strong has its benefits. Do you often struggle walking up the stairs or moving heavy objects? If so, strength training will help you develop balance and stamina to achieve everyday tasks.
Many injuries happen from normal activities, so lifting weights and gaining muscle can help prevent injuries and improve coordination.
5. Brain Buster
Do you live in brain fog, constantly forgetting your keys or even what happened last week? Or do you have trouble accomplishing tasks?
Lifting weights is also great for the one organ in your body that does all the work: your brain! Exercise in general produces a chemical called endorphins, which is responsible for positive feelings. But when you lift weights, you gain a feeling of knowing you can bounce back from anything.
There’s some evidence that shows lifting weights may better your critical thinking skills.
6. Sit Up Straight
Suffering from back pain has many causes, like slumping over a desk all day, or even due to injury or overexertion.
Working on your form by lifting weights opens up the chest and increases your range of motion so you’re not so stiff. This results in better posture and less pain because your back is supported by the muscles you’re building.
7. Confidence
Yes, losing weight can help you feel more confident, but having toned muscles is also a confidence booster! This, combined with preventing injuries and feeling like you have a better handle on life, is enough to improve your sense of well-being.
8. Eliminate Back Pain
16 million people experience back pain.
When you lift weights, you build muscle all over your body and your back is no different. Focusing on building muscle in your back, especially if you’re prone to back problems, can help prevent injury. Just make sure you’re taking precautions if you’ve had surgery or other procedures on your back.
9. Lower Cancer Risk
Excess body fat, especially visceral fat, puts you at risk of developing cancer later in life. Visceral fat is fat around vital organs like the stomach, intestines, and liver, and could even extend to the arteries.
Since muscle burns fat, visceral fat can be lost with lifting weights, therefore, possibly reducing your risk of developing certain types of cancers.
10. Improves Flexibility
Why is it important to be flexible? Being flexible allows you to accomplish more without injuring yourself and can actually improve your strength.
Lifting weights lengthens the muscles, instead of just bulking them up, so you can become more flexible over time. In order to achieve the fullness of flexibility, you’ll need to do the full range of motion when lifting weights.
How to Start Lifting Weights
The good news is that if you’re a lifting-weight novice, you can get started right away!
The first thing you should do is make sure you’re healthy enough for strength training. Once you get the OK from your physician, you can choose to lift weights at home or at a gym. The benefit of lifting weights at a gym is that you have a trainer in your corner who can help you choose the right weights and correct form.
You don’t need to lift weights every day to see results. Only about two to three days per week, for 20 minutes or so, is all you need, resting in between days so your muscles recover fully.
Enjoy the Benefits of Lifting Weights
The benefits of lifting weights help you feel confident and strengthen your body so you can live a long and happy life. What steps are you going to take to start getting stronger today?
Do you need help with your fitness goals or want more information on how to lift weights properly? We’ve got you covered! Contact our team of trainers for more information on getting stronger and improving your health.
