Strength training: what are the benefits?
Strength training is a form of exercise in which the muscles, tendons and skeleton resist an external resistance (by lifting weights) or by gravity (by intensive jumping or sprinting). Strength training strengthens your muscles and helps you lose weight. But there are many more benefits of the training form.
The following is a summary of key factors:
- Protects muscle mass during a period of weight loss
- Increases the amount of muscle mass and thus has a positive influence on the metabolism
- Leads to a lower fat percentage by increasing muscle mass and calories burned
- Improves athletic performance
- Reduces lower back pain (if applied properly)relieves pain with osteoarthritis (muscles absorb more)increases independence in old age
- Better body control and body awareness
- Higher walking speed
- Improved glucose and insulin management (important in type 2 diabetes)lower blood pressure at rest
- Good for your cardiovascular system
- Inhibitory and/or positive effect on depression
- Increases self-confidence
- Improves cognitive functioning
- Decreases or stops muscle mass breakdown in the elderly
- Lower chance of cardiovascular disease
- Lower chance of death lower chance of cancer-related death
