Saturday, September 7, 2013

The Necessity of Weight Work

I know what I said the other day about weight lifting. but, to be at the top of your game physically, you must lift weights. As you read the following paragraph you will learn about an important and often forgotten benefit to lifting weights.

Although aerobic exercise will burn calories, it doesn’t really change your metabolism.
What does: lean muscle mass. “Muscle helps you burn more calories even after your workout is over,” says Halevy. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (the baseline amount of calories you burn in a day), says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., the director of fitness research at Quincy College, in Quincy, Massachusetts.

And if you are still not convinced, read this--Here's what a regular weight lifting routine will do for you.

Health:
Increases HDL - High Density Lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein (bad cholesterol).
Reduces risk of diabetes and insulin needs.
Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lower high blood pressure.
Lowers risk of breast cancer - reduces high estrogen levels linked to the disease.
Decreases or minimizes risk of osteoporosis by building bone mass.

Reduces symptoms of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
Reduces stress and anxiety.
Decreases colds and illness.
Strength:
Increased muscle strength, power, endurance and size with enhanced performance of everyday tasks.  You will be able to do everyday tasks like lifting, carrying, and walking up stairs with greater ease.

Flexibility:
By working the muscles through a full range of motion, weight training can improve your overall body flexibility.  Increased flexibility reduces the risk of muscle pulls and back pain

Likelihood of Injury:

Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments are less likely to give way under stress and are less likely to be injured.  Increased bone density and strength reduces back and knee pain by building muscle around these areas.
Body Composition:
Boosted metabolism (which means burning more calories when at rest) with reduced body fat.  Your overall weight may not change, but you will gain muscle and lose fat. Over time you should notice decreases in waist measurements and body fat measurement.
Muscle Tone:
The conditioning effect will result in firmer and better-defined muscles.
Posture:
The way you sit and stand are influenced by the health of a network of neck, shoulder, back, hip and abdominal muscles.  Stronger muscles can help you stand and sit straighter and more comfortably.  You may notice improved balance and stability.

State of Mind:
As you begin to notice the positive physical changes in your body and develop a regular exercise routine, your ability to handle stress effectively will improve. Weight training allows you to sleep better, i.e., fall asleep quicker and sleep deeper.  
Clinical studies have shown regular exercise to be one of the three best tools for effective stress management.
 
It's back to lifting 3x's a week for me.
 
35 minutes easy running in the woods, stretching after.
 
How was your day?
 
The first day of the week is an excellent time for new beginnings. 


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