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| Monday, June 01, 2009 |
| GOT MUSCLES? |
So you eat a healthy diet, do cardiovascular exercise four to five times a week and get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. What more could you do to increase your chances of living a long, healthy life? Well, it turns out you could start by building some muscle. So many people skip resistance training, which helps build muscles. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, can help prevent injury as we age and it may even decrease your risk of cancer. I highly recommend you include some form of resistance training in your exercise routine.
Resistance training involves exercises that use weights, machines, bands and even your own body weight to tone and build muscle. It’s also referred to as weight training or strength training. Resistance training is often associated with athletes or professional weight lifters, but EVERYONE can benefit from a little resistance training. Most people should only do enough to tone up rather than build large muscles. This can be accomplished in a short period of time and can have many benefits including:
- Increased strength. Resistance training will result in stronger muscles and bones. This can help in everyday life when you need to lift, push or pull something. You will be able to do more and will have less risk of injury.
- Increased bone density. Resistance training will help increase and/or maintain bone density. Bone density is important as we age. It helps protect us against fractures and osteoporosis.
- Reduced body fat. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn daily. As you gain muscle, fat will be reduced and your body will appear slimmer and leaner.
- May decrease your risk of cancer. A recent study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, suggests that building muscle can decrease your risk of cancer. Researchers found that men who worked out with weights were 30-40% less likely to die of a deadly tumor.
- Improve Heart Health. Resistance training can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure which will improve your overall heart health.
If you start resistance training, try getting some professional advice. You can find a certified personal trainer at a local gym or you can purchase a book written by an expert in the field. Resistance training has to be done consistently for you to see any benefits. Try to incorporate resistance training at least twice per week. Don’t be afraid that you will bulk up too much. A trainer can get you started with the right weights for you. You can have strong, healthy muscles and still look long and lean. Most importantly, if you are going to do resistance training, do it right and you will see the benefits.
- Jennifer
Related Articles
Sensei Talks: Totally Toned
Sensei Talks: Why Personal Training?
Labels: Exercise, Fitness, Jennifer, Physical Activity
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posted by My Sensei @ Monday, June 01, 2009   |
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| 2 Comments: |
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You know me.. all abut the weight training!!!! :-) So many benefits to it as you mentioned.. BUT, I do my cardio too!!! Many women do the cardio but not the weights. We need to do both!
Good post!
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And for those of us that have a one track mind...strength training has been shown to increase sex drive in both women and men! Woo hoo! :)
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You know me.. all abut the weight training!!!! :-) So many benefits to it as you mentioned.. BUT, I do my cardio too!!! Many women do the cardio but not the weights. We need to do both!
Good post!