Exercise is an integral part of staying healthy. We are what we eat, yes. But, our bodies are also what we do. One part of a healthy and productive exercise plan that is often neglected is strength training.
First, let’s set the record straight on a common misconception. Strength training is not just another word for bodybuilding. When some hear the words strength training, they imagine oiled, rock hard bodies like the ones found on Venice Beach in California. The average person doesn’t want to walk around busting out of their T-shirt.
That is not what strength training is all about. Aerobics helps to condition the heart and lungs along with increasing stamina (endurance). Sure with cardio workouts, we lose weight which is an objective, but how do we look once the weight has dropped? The goal is to look fit and healthy – not buff and bulging.
Toning our bodies requires that strength training be added in at some point. The body is made up of a skeletal framework that is covered by muscle. While the bones keep us from sinking into a blob on the floor, it is the muscles that add strength to that frame to carry our weight. Muscles, like the abdominal muscles, help to keep our internal organs in their proper place. Basically, they act as a girdle.
Aerobics and other cardio workouts won’t strengthen your muscles. As you age, especially when you hit 40, your body begins to lose more and more muscle each year. Stop and think about it like this: When you lose muscle, a portion of your strength support system is wasting away. If you live to be 90 years old, that’s a lot of muscle gone. Imagine what your body would look like at that point.
Scaring you was not the point in telling you that. In fact, unlike some things that happen as we age, this can be prevented to an extent. Strength training works to keep your muscles strong. You can build more muscle and reverse the natural aging process by incorporating strength training into your workouts. Realistically, you can have a better body at 40 than you did at 20, if you do it right. It all starts with working your muscles regularly.
For the bodybuilding phobic, you won’t look like Mr. Olympia if you don’t want to. Using lighter weights and more repetitions equals toned muscles with definition but not bulky muscles. How you arrange your strength training workout is up to you. The point is that everyone, men and women, need regular strength training to keep their body strong.
Strength training will:
• Strengthen muscles (slow down muscle loss)
• Increase metabolism
• Strengthen bones
Did we mention that strength training helps you lose weight? Muscle burns more calories than fat. The metabolic processes that go on in your muscles after lifting weights will continue even while you are asleep. It continues to burn fat long after the workout is done.
So, are you strength training right now? If not, it is time that you start. It is never too late to gain muscle and improve your health.
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