Although at first glance this seems like a relatively straightforward question, people will often offer some very different answers as to the benefits of a strength training routine. If your personal answer to this question is something along the lines of “it makes you stronger,” then good job, you are on the right track! However, there is an entire universe of potential benefits, which goes beyond the mere increase in strength. These benefits will serve to profoundly change other elements in your life and how you go about living each day.
Now just to keep things straight, when I refer to strength training, I mean the use of some form of resistance in an exercise routine in order to increase muscular strength, anaerobic endurance (30-60sec), and the size of skeletal muscles (e.g. biceps, quads, pecs), opposed to smooth muscles, your intestines, which get more than an adequate workout from things like protein shakes. Although this form of training certainly includes using weights in a gym, it can also include activities such as using the stairs, swimming, carrying groceries or riding a bike. The list can go on and with a little research you are sure to find an activity that is just RIGHT for YOU. In the meantime I’ll give you a few short reasons as to why incorporating strength training into your lifestyle is a one-way ticket to a brand new you!
According to the Fitness Ontario Leadership Program (FOLP) Strength Training manual:
- Strength training reduces the strain of daily activities and chores while improving energy, proper posture, increased bone density and healthier joints. Furthermore, a strength training routine can serve to reduce your susceptibility to injury, whether you have just started your fitness journey, or are a seasoned athlete. Seems too good to be true? Keep reading.
- Improving your strength is an excellent way to improve your body composition. In a nutshell, you build muscle and building muscle helps you burn fat. This is because muscle consumes more calories at rest than fat does; so people who have a high muscle-to-fat ratio tend to burn more calories even when not working out. Aside from feeling stronger, your body becomes more efficient at processing your fat intake.
- Now things get even more interesting. According to a study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (1989), improving muscular strength may in fact have a beneficial effect on reducing one’s risk or symptoms of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, a study in Exercise, Fitness and Health: A Consensus of Current Knowledge (1990) found that a strength training routine adopted for a long period of time lowered one’s resting blood pressure, leading to numerous cardiovascular health benefits over one’s lifetime.
So my advice to you is TRY IT! You just might like it, and you may just love what it does to your body. In no time at all (approximately two weeks of regular training) you should see some gains in both your physique and energy levels. If you are not satisfied with your results, keep at it; a healthy determination will ensure you change your mind.
Adam Stone is a Masters Student of Cognitive Science and a Fitness Writer for Carleton Athletics.
