Why should you add strength training to your aerobic workouts? After all you getting yourself lean, fit and heart health. The short answer is the doctors at EverydayHealth.com says so.
Of course strength training will add definition to your muscles and give men and women alike more fit and toned bodies. After all, today's marathon runners are not your first choice for swimsuit models. Still not convinced?
Well listen to the logic:
1. Strength training protects bone health and muscle mass. The experts at EverydayHeath.doc
click here for more info says
after puberty, whether you are a man or a woman, you begin to lose about 1 percent of your bone and muscle strength every year. "One of the best ways to stop, prevent, and even reverse bone and muscle loss is to add strength training to your workouts," advises Troy Tuttle, MS, an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston."
2. Strength training makes you stronger and fitter. Do not confuse heart health (aerobics) with kick butt power (strength training)
3. Strength training helps you develop better body mechanics. Strength training has benefits that go well beyond the appearance of nicely toned muscles. Your balance and coordination will improve, as will your posture. More importantly, if you have poor flexibility and balance,
strength training can reduce your risk of falling by as much as 40 percent, a crucial benefit, especially as you get older.
4. Strength training plays a role in disease prevention. Studies have documented the many wellness benefits of strength training. If you have arthritis, strength training can be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis pain. Strength training can help post-menopausal women increase their bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures. And for the 14 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, strength training along with other healthy lifestyle changes can help improve glucose control.
5. Strength training boosts energy levels and improves your mood.
Strength training will elevate your level of endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which will make you feel great. As if that isn’t enough to convince you, strength training has also been shown to be a great antidepressant, to help you sleep better, and to improve your overall quality of life.
6. Strength training translates to more calories burned. You burn calories during strength training, and your body continues to burn calories after strength training, a process called "physiologic homework." More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, and in fact
strength training can boost your metabolism by 15 percent — that can really jump start a weight loss plan.
7. Combats boredom. With strength training, every day doesn't have to be consumed with endless miles on the track, treadmill or running paths. Add weights, machines, medicine balls, isometrics and gymnastics for variety. It's almost like taking a day off without taking a day off.
As with any exercise program make sure your doctor gives you permission to start an exercise program and/or to add significant challenge to it. In no time Speedo will be calling.
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