3 Reasons Weight Training is Important

I tour many of our new gym members to show them how to use our equipment correctly and give them tips.  One thing I hear a lot from women is they don’t want to bulk up so they don’t really want to do weights.  or I can tell that they aren’t really ever going to do a weight workout that will actually push them.

There are many reasons why weight training is important, but I’m going to hit three of the top.  Remember that in order to bulk up like a body builder you would have to spend hours a day and have a major plan in place.  Body builders do not get that way by working out for 20 minutes 3 days a week. lol

1.  Muscle burns calories.  Even if you aren’t worried about weight loss, who doesn’t want more calories burned everyday?  Very few. lol  Maintenence (staying at your ideal weight) is much more fun when you can splurge on dessert or your favorite, less-healthy foods a couple of times a week.

2.  Strengthens joints and connective tissues.  When you put the extra pressure and tearing on your tendons and ligaments they rebuild to become stronger just like your muscles.  The next time they make that same movement they want to make sure they are even stronger.  Our body always wants to improve it’s workability.  This will help decrease common knee and other joint issues.  By doing your exercises correctly you also improve your flexibility and full range of motion with your joints.

3.  Improves posture and balance.  Stronger muscles will help keep your posture more upright and pain free.  Many know this of course, but what about the balance idea?  Very few people think about their balance until it’s gone.  I have been blessed to watch my seniors fitness class improve dramatically since 2008 by weight training.  Yes, that would be my senior citizen fitness class that is primarily full of women in their 70′s and 80′s. 

These are direct health benefits of weight training.  This doesn’t even touch on all the confidence and emotional improvement you can benefit from while strength training.