Resistance training, strength training, weight lifting, or whatever other name it is known by, has a negative connotation in many people's minds. We're too quick to attach lifting weights to excessive muscle development observed in bodybuilders, or to the wrong kinds of people we meet in the gym. Sadly, the effect of this is that the people who need resistance training the most, people like you and I, end up missing out. And we do miss out - big time.
There are lots of benefits to resistance training, aside from just getting bigger muscles. Below, I've listed five of the ones most relevant to pretty much everyone.
Improves bone mineral density - as we age, the density of our bones decreases, which has the effect of increasing our risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering breaks from falls. While there is a big focus on the benefits of calcium for improving bone mineral density, one thing that is constantly overlooked is that bones remodel and rebuild based on external stresses. Resistance training is one of the most effective, if not the most effective means by which bone mineral density can be increased, held steady or rates of decline slowed. The benefits of this are transient, so ongoing loading is critical.
Improving metabolic functioning - we are currently in the midst of an obesity and Type II diabetes epidemic. The solution that springs to most people's minds is to change their diet, but this ignores how the body actually uses sugars. When sugar enters the bloodstream, insulin essentially runs around to muscles and asks if they want any energy - that's one of the key functions of insulin. When we are inactive, our muscles don't want much energy, because they are not using it, so the body converts the excess energy into fat. However, if we are active, and use energy stored in muscles, the muscles will take up sugar in the bloodstream. One of the most effective ways to increase the demand for sugar is to engage in resistance training, specifically trying to move as much weight as possible as quickly as possible. This approach engages fast twitch fibres, which will preferentially use sugars as fuel when trained correctly. Once the muscles have depleted their stores of sugars, the demand for replacement sugars increases - letting insulin do what it is meant to do.
Delays loss of muscle mass - as we age, we lose muscle mass in a process called age-related sarcopenia. The main effect of sarcopenia is that we lose our fast twitch fibres, and keep our slow twitch fibres. The result of this is that our metabolism slows, we lose muscle tone, and worst of all, our risk of falls increases. By undertaking regular resistance training, we can assist the body to maintain muscle mass and slow the rate of loss of our fast twitch fibres. In the long term, this helps us stay leaner, more toned and reduces our risk of falls. And the best part is that the benefits of resistance training are observed in all ages, irrespective of gender and the age at which training started.
Improvements in cognitive functioning - there is a trend to think of the people we see lifting weights all the time as being less intelligent than the rest of the population, but the evidence for the cognitive benefits of resistance training are mounting. There is evidence that regular resistance training can slow down the rate of onset of Alzheimer's and dementia, can improve synaptic functioning, enhance our capacity to complete complex tasks and reduce the risk of depression. All of these can happen just by lifting weights a few times a week.
Reduce the risk of illness - exercising on a regular basis can help to reduce the risk of illness, and in some instances can also help to reverse the effects of some diseases. In particular, there is a trend for resistance training to help improve recovery rates from serious diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease. In addition to that, auto-immune diseases and disorders, including MS and AIDs can potentially be slowed down exercising with weights
So there we have it - 5 great reasons to rethink resistance training. The benefits listed here are relevant to all of us, because we all face the risks of loss of bone density, muscle mass, metabolic dysfunction, reduced cognitive performance and the longer we live, the greater is the risk of a chronic disease. The great news is that as soon as you start, you get the benefits. So don't wait any longer, get out there and get lifting.
By: Brett Neasham
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