If you’ve been exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet but still aren’t seeing or feeling the results you desire, it might be time to incorporate some strength training into your routine.
“Strength training can significantly enhance your quality of life,” says Adrian Hutber, PhD, vice president for the American College of Sports Medicine. Strength training keeps muscles flexible, helps regulate body chemistry, and strengthens the body to combat disease and other signs of ageing.
Not convinced yet? Here are six compelling reasons to embrace strength training for better health.
1. Protect your heart
Engaging in strength training can benefit your heart. Resistance training can help lower blood pressure, according to a review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. This, in turn, can lower your risk for heart disease. Isometric resistance training, where joint angles remain constant—such as holding a plank position—may be particularly effective in lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number), according to this review.
2. Strengthen your bones
Millions of Australians are affected by osteoporosis and low bone density, which can increase the risk for fractures and related complications. Rapid weight loss can negatively impact bone density, especially in older adults. Programs promoting a safe weight loss rate of up to 1 kilogram per week can help protect bone health, especially when combined with strength training. Research suggests that strength training can help maintain and even improve bone density, even during weight loss.
You don’t need to be a bodybuilder to strengthen your bones though. Lifting lighter weights with higher repetitions can be as beneficial as lifting heavier weights for bone health, according to a preliminary study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
3. Reduce your diabetes risk
Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that’s reaching epidemic proportions, says Hutber. Increases in muscle mass and stronger mitochondria—the energy centre of cells—as a result of intense long-term personalised resistance-training programs may positively impact insulin responsiveness and glucose control in some individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to a scientific review published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.
4. Support your weight loss goals
“If you’re trying to lose weight, resistance-training can be a helpful addition to a healthy diet and exercise routine,” says American-based exercise scientist Erica Suter, CSCS. While strength training helps you look and feel leaner, it might not always reflect immediate changes on the scale.
This is because muscle tissue is denser and more metabolically active than fat tissue. Building muscle mass through strength training means your body burns more calories at rest. Think of it as getting extra value from all the hard work you’ve put in.
5. Boost your energy and strength for daily activities
Strength-training not only improves body composition, which can affect health in positive ways, but it also improves other areas of your life, says Suter.
“Maybe you're a runner and you want to not get sore at the end of a race, or maybe you play co-ed sports and want to get faster,” she says. “Whatever it is, strength-training will make you more resilient for the everyday demands of life.”
6. Increase your confidence
Let’s face it: resistance training is challenging and pushes you to your limits. However, the sense of accomplishment and improved self-esteem that comes with achieving your fitness goals is invaluable, says Suter.
“There’s nothing more empowering than completing your first pull-up or mastering a perfect push-up. Strength training is a fantastic way to achieve personal performance milestones,” she adds.
The bottom line
Convinced of the health benefits of strength training but feeling a bit apprehensive about starting? That’s normal. Begin with bodyweight exercises like squats, dips, and push-ups.
“Everyone has been a beginner and you're moving yourself in the right direction to a better body and mind,” she says. “The key is to start off slow and listen to how your body feels as you progress in weight, as well as ensure you're doing proper form with each exercise before you increase intensity.”
Incorporating strength training into your fitness routine can lead to numerous health benefits, from a healthier heart and stronger bones to improved confidence and energy levels. Start lifting today and experience the transformative power of strength training for yourself.