James Clear, the NY Times best-selling author of Atomic Habits, said, “I’ll say it plain and simple: you should be lifting weights. But not necessarily for the reasons that you might think.” There’s so much more to lifting weights than toning muscles and sculpting physiques. Hitting the weights is the perfect way to stay fit, both physically and mentally.
Exercises done with weights are also known as strength or resistance training. Many of these workouts target your bones and muscles and help you lose fat from all the right places.
Importance of Lift Weights and Strength Train
Most people start losing muscle in their 50s. That’s why experts at Harvard recommend exercising with weights to preserve muscular endurance and functionality. Neal Pierce, an exercise physiologist, explains that the main science behind weight lifting is to first apply a load on the muscles and then let the muscles get used to it so that you can keep on increasing the load from workout to workout.
If you want to live a longer and a healthier life, resistance training is the ideal fitness routine. If you want to know more about the health benefits of frequent weight lifting, then keep on reading:
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Exercise as a form of active recovery from substance abuse
Substance users often suffer from withdrawal symptoms when they quit. Whether the withdrawals are from dependencies relating to smoking or any other substance, strength training workouts can have remarkable effects in countering the worst withdrawal symptoms.Weight lifting can supplement other therapy options. The withdrawal phase is often the most difficult to navigate without treatment options. Exercise can only serve to supplement the other treatment options, like the ones offered at The Palm Beach Institute, and not replace those expertly-guided therapies developed for recovering substance users.
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Burns off fat
No other workout program can help you get rid of fat around the midsection, accentuate your curves, and firm up loose body parts, while helping you to build muscle, strength, and endurance like weight or strength training. Daily strength training exercises are the best when it comes to achieving your weight loss goals. A rigorous weight lifting workout will fire up your metabolism so that you can burn off more calories even while resting. Your metabolic rate determines how many calories you are able to burn off from food versus how much are stored as excess reserves that usually end up as fat.
According to a study, the metabolic rate in males increases by 9% after regular weight lifting, whereas, in females, it rises by 4%. The digestive system gets more efficient with time and the calories are turned to energy at a faster rate.
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Reduces anxiety and depression
Resistance training also holds many benefits for your mental well-being. Experts recommend vigorous weight lifting workouts to counter symptoms of anxiety and depression. Studies show that people who perform barbell squats and lunges are typically less prone to anxiety and panic attacks than others. It’s also an excellent way to boost your self-esteem and enhance your confidence.So, if you have had a couple of rough days and feel particularly blue, a weight lifting workout routine will get out of that rut. The approach here is to ease into it, exercise a little caution, and refrain from going all in too early, because that will leave you more drained than when you started.
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Decreases risk of cardiovascular diseases
You’ve heard of the benefits of cardio for improving your cardiovascular health, but chances are that you are unaware of how effective weight lifting is at reducing the risk factors that cause cardiovascular diseases.
Strength training exercises improve your heart’s ability to pump blood, and, as a result, you will reduce hypertension or even tackle a low-blood pressure. Research shows that weight lifting is a superb workout if you wish to prevent stroke or heart attacks. In fact, if you lift heavy weights for a little less than an hour daily, the dangers of heart attack and stroke reduce by a whopping 40 to 70%. But, on the other hand, there are no benefits for prolonging your exercise time beyond an hour.
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Balances blood sugar levels
Both type 1 and type-2 diabetes cause various health complications such as swelling and numbness in limbs, lethargy, nausea, and moodiness. In the long run, consistently high levels of blood sugar can affect your internal systems. It can lead to heart complications, stress, lowers your immunity, and makes you prone to blindness.
Weight lifting is one of the best ways you can balance your glucose levels naturally, without relying on medications. It helps with insulin production and excess sugar absorption. Additionally, research has shown that moderate strength training workouts produce a 32% decrease in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Final Thoughts
Lifting weights for your health will make you reap tons of benefits for your physical as well as mental health. With the right program, that lets you ease into weight lifting, progressively overloads your muscles, and gives you ample time for recovery, you can start reaping the benefits mentioned above.
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