Strength training is important and beneficial for men and women of every age, body type, and athletic ability. Including strength training once or twice in your weekly routine will allow you to:
Manage your weight and improve your appearance by burning excess fat and increasing lean muscle tissue. The Mayo Clinic suggests that lean muscle mass naturally decreases over time, and if you don’t do anything to replace the muscle loss, it will be replaced with fat. But strength training can help reverse the trend, at any age.
Improve athletic performance and reduce your risk of injury, whether you’re a serious athlete or enjoy sports recreationally.
Improve balance and flexibility.
Reduce your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association, in a 2007 update to its original scientific statement published in 2000, recommends strength training as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease and as a therapy for patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Increase bone density.
Reduce the signs and symptoms of diseases and chronic conditions, like arthritis, back pain, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and depression. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explicitly recommends strength training as a treatment and means for prevention of these and other diseases.
Feel better, physically and mentally. Improve your self-confidence, mental focus, and overall physical and emotional well being.