Today we are going to be looking into the benefits of weight training. Unless you are interested in toning your muscles, you might skip this type of fitness. But weight training isn’t just for becoming more muscular.
One of the benefits not everyone is aware of is that it can help fight off muscle loss. As we age, we lose lean muscle mass and guess what replaces it? Fat! It just comes with aging and there isn’t much you can do about it, unless you replace the fat with muscle mass…which can only happen if you implement weight training.
The purpose of weight training is to stress your muscles so that they become stronger. This can be done with weight machines, dumbbells, barbells or other types of free weights.
For the majority of people, you will only need short bursts of weight training. The average person isn’t looking to buff up. Even doing just two or three days a week of 20 to 30 minutes of weight training will increase your muscle mass.
However, keep in mind that weight training isn’t designed to replace aerobic exercises. A good fitness routine will always include aerobic activities.
One thing you do need to be aware of is that weight training can lead to injuries, so you want to ensure that you are using the proper techniques. It is usually a good idea to speak with a trainer about this.
You also want to start this type of fitness routine slowly. You start off lifting a few pounds and work your way up. You increase the chance of injury if you try to lift too much.
And despite what you might have heard, it is never a good idea to lift weights everyday. Your muscles need time to recover, so give them a rest. One way you can do this is by focusing on specific muscle groups. For instance, one day you might work on your arms and another day you might work on your legs.
Finally, the other benefits to weight training are that it can help in managing your weight, improve joint flexibility and increase bone density.
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