Strength Training and Why You Need It

Strength Training and Why You Need It

Why Strength Training is Important

Everyone knows the importance of an all inclusive, balanced approach to health and fitness. Some kind of conditioning exercise (cardio) is essential. Eating healthy is a must. 

Getting enough rest and quality sleep is vital. People are also emphasizing stretching. But strength training?

Why Should You Strength Train?

Besides body composition improvements (your ratio of muscle to fat) there are metabolic benefits. A few are:

What many people usually don’t realize is:

So How Important are the Unique Strength Training Benefits?

Starting as early as 25, people lose about 1.0% of muscle per year. This is known as ‘sarcopenia’, and it is not a disease, it’s normal. As you can see this has tremendous implications as we age. Things as simple as pushing yourself out of a chair become difficult, and going up and down stairs may not even be an option. Also, your metabolism slows, body fat increases and a whole array of negative health effects can be associated with loss of muscle. Worst of all, the weakness can increase your chances of falling and breaking a bone. Strength training has been shown to stop, and even reverse the effects of sarcopenia.

If you are these ages and you haven’t started strength training you will have:

If you are 40-49:

By age 50-59:

Age 60 and up:

This rate of physical attrition doesn’t need to happen to you. It can be kept in check with Functional Strength Training.

The benefits of having a strong functioning body are:

One of the biggest benefits of Functional Strength Training is the ability to continue to do all the things you currently do and also possibly do them better.

For example you will be able to:

The benefits of weight training for men and women over the age of 40 far outweigh those that just choose cardio.

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