Weight Training Improves Quality of Life
If you want to have a long and healthy life, weight training is essential.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of stigmas associated with weight training that deter people from this extraordinarily beneficial activity.
When done right, weight training can and will help you feel strong, stable and ready for anything life throws at you.
Why limit yourself?
Life is hard enough as it is, so why make golfing, hiking or other recreational activities harder than they need to be?
Studies have shown that “resistance training may result in improved self-efficacy for strength and exercise tasks and improved quality of life parameters.” (McCartney N. Role of resistance training in heart disease. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Oct;30(10 Suppl):S396-402. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199810001-00008. PMID: 9789866.)
In other words, implementing weight training in workout programs can help make those activities you enjoy easier on the body due to the bodies increased tolerance to physical exertion.
When creating a workout program, I take activities my clients enjoy into consideration so that we can match or exceed the exertion of the activities during training sessions in order to make life more enjoyable.
Stronger and healthier.
Not only should you focus on weight training for the sake of enjoying physical activities easier, but also so that you can reduce your risk of chronic disease.
“Muscle is a key regulator of metabolism and absolutely vital for the prevention of many chronic diseases.” (Argiles et al., 2016; Wolfe, 2006).
I know it’s easy to think of muscle from an aesthetic standpoint, but the health benefits of maintaining lean muscle mass is paramount.
With roughly 80% of careers today being sedentary, it is ever more important to implement weight training in order to preserve the bodies want and need for lean muscle mass.
Where to start?
The easiest way someone can start implementing weight training into their routines is to begin with low-weight, high repetition dumbbell exercises.
This will help to get familiar with the technique and address any left to right imbalances you may have while figuring out the form.
Aiming for 15-20 reps per set in the beginning can also allow you to focus on what you are feeling while you’re performing the exercise.
Remember, the goal is to build the demand for lean muscle.
By making sure you’re feeling the right muscles work will not only ensure that you’re doing the exercises correct, but also helping you build a neurological bridge between mind and body for better overall control.
In conclusion…
There is no reason to limit yourself and your abilities in the finite amount of time we have to enjoy this life; so we might as well be strong and ready to enjoy the activities we like.
And remember, weight training isn’t always about “the looks,” one of the greatest benefits of weight training is increased quality of life and capability in everyday life.
So take it slow, get the exercises right and focus on how you feel above all else.
Your body will reward you when you do something right (muscle burn / soreness) and alert you when you’re doing something wrong (aches / pains).
If you still are unsure of how to get started, click here if you’d like to get in contact so we can look into how we can work together to get you moving in the right direction.
- Tyler Shamaly