While some individuals are strictly interested in weight training to obtain muscle for aesthetic reasons, what most people are not aware of are the many health benefits weight lifting will have for you. Such benefits include:
- Increase bone density
- Decrease frequency of injuries
- Reduce health related risks
- Prevent fat gain
- Increase Bone Density
Weight lifting, being one of the best weight bearing exercises you can do, will help increase bone density, which is a major factor in preventing stress fractures or osteoporosis in later life.
Most people assume that running is the best exercise for increasing bone density, this is not strictly true. Running can even be the cause of muscle breakdown in the body and road running can cause significant wear and tear. Weight lifting, being an anabolic process, helps to promote the building of tissues.
Decrease Frequency of Injuries
When you weight train, not only are your muscles going to get stronger, but you also strengthen the ligaments and tendons that are connecting bones, muscles, and other tissues, therefore reducing the chances of injury when participating in other physical activities.
Research shows that 80% of injuries are the direct result of a ligament, tendon, or muscle not being strong enough to cope when a significant force is applied.
Reduce Health Related Risks
Studies have shown that regular weight training can have benefits to overall health and well being by showing reductions in the rate of insulin resistance, heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer.
Successful weight training programs are always coupled with a good clean diet, this is a sure fire way to give your body the best defense possible in the fight against disease and chronic problems.
Prevent Fat Gain
Regular weight training increases metabolism, so the more food you can eat while maintaining your weight.
One of the main things that put most people off weight training is the assumption that they will become big and bulky. This is definitely not the case.
Most of the muscle and weight gain that bodybuilders see are the result of their diets and food intake. Bodybuilders take on an awful amount of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates to allow their muscles to grow. Weight training on your usual diet will not make you bulky.
Not choosing to include weight training as part of your current workout program is without-a-doubt the biggest mistake you could make as far as your long-term health and fitness level is concerned. Do not let this exercise pass you by any longer.