Prioritise Your Resistance Training
Resistance training is any type of exercise that contracts muscles to build strength and lean muscle mass. The main reason my clients want to do resistance training is that it builds lean muscle mass and speeds up metabolic rate. Basically it turbo-charges all your other weight loss efforts by building muscle. Muscle is “metabolically active tissue” which means the body has to expend energy to maintain it. As you age lean muscle mass reduces which causes metabolic rate to slow and weight to creep on. Resistance training can increase metabolic rate up to 15% which is super helpful for weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. The more toned your muscles are the easier it is to lose weight, a very happy upwards spiral. And of course all the calories you burn while performing your resistance training help with weight loss too.
Resistance training improves stamina and muscle endurance, making aerobic exercise easier. Strong ligaments and tendons support the joints and reduce the likelihood of injury. As well as physical stamina, resistance training has been shown to have positive effects on cognitive function. Some of these benefits will come from improved sleep and reduced stress that exercise creates. However studies have shown that resistance training can boost brain function to the degree that it can delay the onset of dementia and alzheimers.
There are many other long term benefits of incorporating resistance training into your fitness regime. Being strong enables you to continue to perform daily activities that require lifting, pushing and pulling. When you are young you take these skills for granted but as you age they are not a given. Mobility and functionality are keys to independence and important to protect. Strength improves posture and balance, reducing the risk of falls and injuries. Resistance training can reduce the risk and symptoms of many conditions including back pain, arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. For women resistance training is particularly important for re-building bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Some women are concerned that strength training will cause them to “bulk up”. This is a myth. Even women trying to put on muscle often struggle to do so because women have less testosterone than men. Most women come to the gym wanting to drop a dress size or two. Incorporating an appropriate weight training program as part of a fitness and nutrition regime will not only drop the centimetres away but leave a leaner, firmer and more toned body.
Resistance training is a key component of fitness for all ages. You’ll manage your weight with less effort and improve your health and wellbeing at the same time.
Resistance training improves stamina and muscle endurance, making aerobic exercise easier. Strong ligaments and tendons support the joints and reduce the likelihood of injury. As well as physical stamina, resistance training has been shown to have positive effects on cognitive function. Some of these benefits will come from improved sleep and reduced stress that exercise creates. However studies have shown that resistance training can boost brain function to the degree that it can delay the onset of dementia and alzheimers.
There are many other long term benefits of incorporating resistance training into your fitness regime. Being strong enables you to continue to perform daily activities that require lifting, pushing and pulling. When you are young you take these skills for granted but as you age they are not a given. Mobility and functionality are keys to independence and important to protect. Strength improves posture and balance, reducing the risk of falls and injuries. Resistance training can reduce the risk and symptoms of many conditions including back pain, arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. For women resistance training is particularly important for re-building bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Some women are concerned that strength training will cause them to “bulk up”. This is a myth. Even women trying to put on muscle often struggle to do so because women have less testosterone than men. Most women come to the gym wanting to drop a dress size or two. Incorporating an appropriate weight training program as part of a fitness and nutrition regime will not only drop the centimetres away but leave a leaner, firmer and more toned body.
Resistance training is a key component of fitness for all ages. You’ll manage your weight with less effort and improve your health and wellbeing at the same time.